The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate
by Crawlspace
Summary: Getting back some of what Fate took away in the name of Destiny isn't always easy. Shoujo-ai (Rei-Minako, Ami-Makoto). COMPLETE
1. Summer Break

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

1.  Summer Break

            Rei sat at the Crown with her friends, head buried in her arms on the tabletop.  She had been like this for a full five minutes.

            Minako, who was sitting closest to her, tapped Rei's shoulder.  "Come on, Rei, tell us what's wrong."

            A mumbled sentence was all they got.

            Minako sighed and leaned close to Rei's ear.  "Try again, Rei.  You know you want our sympathy, so out with it.  Be coherent this time and Usagi will buy you a milkshake."

            Rei looked up with an evil grin on her face.  Then she remembered her predicament.  Frowning, she said, "I'm being traded."

            "What do you mean you're being traded?" asked Makoto.  "People don't just generally trade in their children for newer models."

            "No," answered Rei, "but shrines do.  Grandpa has a friend who wants his apprentice to study under him, so the apprentice is coming here and I'm going there."

            "But why you?  I'd think he'd send Yuichiro."

            "I asked the same thing.  But Grandpa gave me a stupid speech about me making a better showing for the shrine.  He's right, but still…"

            Usagi looked like she was on the verge of tears.  "Are you going away forever?"

            "No, Usagi, just for summer break.  But it might as well be forever.  My whole summer has now officially been shot to hell."  Rei's head landed back on her arms as she mourned her loss for all it was worth.

           Minako laughed at her girlfriend's overreaction and put an arm around her shoulders.  "Poor Rei.  Well, I'll be thinking about you.  I'll even send you a postcard with Buckingham Palace on it."

            "You're going, then," said Ami.

            Minako leaned back in her seat.  "Yeah," she said quietly.  "I didn't have the heart to tell Katerina I wouldn't come to her wedding, even though she said she would understand if I didn't want to.  Besides, once I really thought about it, I realized I do want to be there for her."

            "Helps that she said you could be maid of honor," smirked Makoto.

            "That, too."

            "You and Ami are so lucky," said Usagi.  "I wish I was going to another country.  Or at least that we were taking a plane to my grandparent's place."

            Makoto frowned at the blonde.  "I wouldn't call the plane rides a plus.  Those things are overcrowded, under ventilated deathtraps."

            "That's better than 13 hours in the backseat with Shingo.  And then it's eight more hours to my father's relatives and another ten to get back home," lamented Usagi.  

            "At least you'll be able to roll down a window," said Ami.

            "Ami," said Rei, head up and indulging in the chocolate milkshake Usagi would be paying for with the last of her allowance, "do I detect a phobia of planes?"

"It isn't that, really.  It's just that Germany seems awfully far away, and it's a long time to be on a plane."  Ami smiled.  "But the trip is worth it.  Mom's been planning it for months, and her letting me help with the research on the project more than makes up for any cram school I'll miss."

Minako laughed at that.  "Ami, you are the only person I know who worries about missing school during summer break."

            Ami's smile became shy as she cast her eyes down.

            Makoto bumped her shoulder gently against Ami.  "It's okay, Ami.  One of us needs to keep from going brain dead over break.  As long as it makes you happy."

            "What about you Mako-chan?" asked Usagi.

            "What about me?"  
            "Have you made any plans yet?  We only have a week of school left."

            "Yep," smiled Makoto, putting her hands behind her head and leaning back.  "I'm going to kick back, relax, and enjoy what's left of my youth.  That's what summer's all about you guys."

            "You could come with me."

            Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at Ami.

Ami's cheeks grew warm under the sudden scrutiny.  Embarrassed by her small outburst and almost wishing she could take it back, Ami hurried to stammer out an explanation.  "Um, I mean, I'm certain my mother wouldn't mind if you came with us.  So you don't have to be alone, Mako-chan."

"Don't worry about me, Ami," answered Makoto.  "I'll be fine.  You need some time for just you and your mom – we all know that's the real reason you're looking forward to this trip so much.  And aside from the fact that there isn't enough Dramamine in all of Japan to get me on that plane, someone needs to be here in case something happens."

"It's been quiet for months," said Rei.  "Nothing in my fire readings either.  This summer would have been perfect."

            This time Rei's forehead landed on Minako's shoulder.  Minako stroked Rei's hair as the blonde murmured baby sympathy words to the miko.

            Makoto watched as Usagi leaned over and whispered something to Ami.  Ami went wide-eyed and her lips formed a small "o" as Usagi giggled.  Rei and Minako were enjoying their game of mourning and comfort, not paying attention to anything but each other for the moment.

            Makoto took all this in, but didn't feel the comfort her friends' actions usually brought to her.  For the first time in three years things were quiet.  No youma to fight, no evil plots to foil, no danger posed to her princess or friends.  In a week, summer vacation would start.  Six whole weeks to sleep in late, be lazy, and enjoy life.  Six whole weeks she now knew she would be spending completely alone.

            _Rei was right,_ thought Makoto.  _This summer would have been perfect._

*            *            *

            Hands in her pockets, Makoto walked absently along the sidewalk, kicking the occasional stray pebble.  She watched as a pinkish stone bounced off a crack in the pavement, noting that it did absolutely nothing to alleviate her boredom.  She was actually wishing a youma would show up and try to kill her just so she would have something to do.

            It had been just over three weeks since Makoto and her friends had completed their latest school term.  They'd spent that night celebrating both their survival of it all and the temporary freedom they'd been granted.

            Ami had begged off early, blaming her plane leaving at three the next morning as the cause.  As the blue-haired girl hugged her friends goodbye, Makoto began to feel an unpleasant pressure building in her chest.  She felt it again two days later as they all stood at the bus station saying their goodbyes to Rei (Minako's rather enthusiastic farewell drawing stares, a girlish giggle from Usagi, and mutters of "It's just a phase" from Rei's grandfather.).

            Too soon afterwards, Makoto found herself saying goodbye to both Minako and Usagi.  Usagi had been the last of the group to leave, and Makoto had stood there watching as her friend's car pulled away just after dawn.  She had remained there for a time, even though the car was long gone from her sight.  The pressure and tightness in her chest was there again, stronger than it had been for a long time.

            "You're being stupid, Makoto," she'd said to herself.  "They're not leaving you.  In a few weeks they'll be back.  They're all coming back."

            Since then, she'd done everything she could think of to occupy herself.  Makoto's usually clean apartment was beyond spotless.  Every stray dish had been cleaned, every article of clothing washed and pressed.  Her kitchen looked like a bakery.  She had even finished all of her summer homework, though without Ami there to go over it with her, she couldn't guarantee its accuracy.  All these chores, combined with her daily workout, had kept Makoto's mind and body sufficiently occupied.

            Then, three days ago, she received a postcard from Minako.  It was a kind and simple thing; just a note to say hi and let her know she hadn't been forgotten.  Yet it had put Makoto in a slump that she couldn't quite pull herself out of.

            She needed to talk to someone or just see a familiar face.  Mamoru was off in America trying to make up the schooling he'd missed during the whole Galaxia affair.  Three of the outers were away -- Michiru touring, Haruka and Hotaru along for the ride.  She thought about trying to find an excuse to visit Setsuna, regardless of the fact that they didn't really know each other well enough for casual visits.  The Senshi of Time would be grateful for the company, Makoto finally decided.  So she'd wrapped up a generous number of cookies and went to the house, only to find it empty.

            The birds in the park had liked the cookies, at least, thought Makoto as she worried the little pink stone with the toe of her sneaker.

            A metallic crash and the sound of glass breaking nearby grabbed Makoto's attention away from the pebble she'd been torturing.  Her mind automatically switched to battle mode as she headed for the source of the disturbance.  Henshin pen in hand, she was two seconds away from transforming when she spotted her youma.

            Sprawled on his backside, plates, glasses, and a café table scattered around him, was Umino.  Naru, her face bright red, was trying to simultaneously apologize to a waiter who was face down in the mess and help Umino out of it.

            Makoto's shoulders relaxed as she came down from her battle alert.  She shook her head and sighed, slightly disappointed at the lack of a fight.  Then a small smile came to her lips.  She watched as Naru continued to apologize to the waiter, other guests, and owner.  The redhead pulled her boyfriend up and let him lean on her as she led him out of the café.

            "Love in all forms," said Makoto quietly.

            "I guess that's one way of looking at it."

            Startled, Makoto spun around.  Smiling at her was a boy just slightly taller than she was.  He seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't put his face with a name.

            "Kino, right, from class three?" the boy asked.

            Makoto nodded, then remembering her manners said, "Kino Makoto, yes.  I'm sorry, but I can't seem to remember your name."

            "Yuu.  Yuu Satoshi, class one."  Satoshi extended a hand, which Makoto took in a brief shake.  "That little scene was the most exciting thing that's happened all week.   Who would have thought that Tokyo could be such a boring place?"

            Makoto found herself agreeing with him.  He continued to talk to her, Makoto answering or adding something when he gave her the chance.  His smile was pleasant, she thought.  Nothing spectacular, but nice just the same.  And the casual familiarity he was showing to her, rather than seeming like a rude turn-off as it usually would, was also somehow pleasing.

            "Say, Makoto…  It is okay if I call you that, by the way?"

            "Sure," nodded Makoto.

            "Great.  Then it's only fair that you call me Satoshi.  Anyhow, I was wondering if you had any plans for this afternoon?"

            "No, not really.  My friends are all out of town, so…"

            "Want to have lunch with me?"

            Makoto stared at Satoshi in stunned silence.  This wasn't how it usually went.

            Satoshi frowned just a bit.  "I'm being too forward, aren't I?  I'm sorry about that.  It's just that I thought we were hitting it off pretty well and…"

            "It's okay," interrupted Makoto.  "Actually, I'd like to have lunch with you."

            The smile was back in full force as Satoshi said, "I know this great place on Forth Street.  Come on."

            Makoto's mind was spinning as Satoshi took her hand and led her away from the chaos Umino had left in his wake.  Part of her was glad to have something to do and someone to do it with, even if she had just met the boy.  Another part continued to remind her that this wasn't how things were supposed to work.  She was the one who was supposed to be chasing after her sempai.  He was never supposed to come after her.

            _That makes no sense, Makoto,_ she chastised herself.  _And it's just lunch, so stop thinking about it and be glad you don't have to spend the rest of the day alone._


	2. Coming Home

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

2.  Coming Home

            Lunch with Satoshi that day had been nice.  He had an easy sense of humor and talked to Makoto like they were old friends.  When he left her at the door to her apartment, he handed her a piece of paper with a phone number on it.

            "It's my cell number," he said.  "So you can call any time you want."

            Now, two weeks later, that little piece of paper landed with perfect precision in Makoto's trashcan.

            "Three points," the girl muttered to herself, proud of her aim if nothing else.  She stood for a second, then mentally kicked herself.  "Hurry up.  Rei and Minako should have Usagi ready by now, and you don't want to be late for Ami's plane."

*            *            *

            The girls hurried through the airport, bags and beach towels in tow.  The plan was simple: 1) Ambush Ami as soon as she got off the plane, 2) beg her mother to let them have her for their last 20 hours of freedom, 3) drag Ami to the beach and force her to have normal 16-year-old fun.  Now if they could only find gate twelve, everything would be perfect.

            "We're going in circles," said Minako as they stopped in front of a gift store they had passed twice already.  "Somebody needs to ask directions."

            "Stupid, Usagi.  If you hadn't overslept, we wouldn't be having this problem," yelled Chibi-usa.

            "There's no way you can blame us being lost on me being late," yelled back Usagi.

            Makoto smiled at the small argument as Rei tried to stop it.

            Chibi-usa had surprised them all when she hopped out of the car the day Usagi's family had come home.  Usagi said the girl had been waiting for her when they got to her father's family home.  When it came time to leave, Chibi-usa was put in the back seat along with Usagi and Shingo without anyone but Usagi giving it a second thought.

            When asked, all the little girl would say was, "Mama said now would be a good opportunity for a visit."

            Usagi, on the other hand, had a lot more to say on the matter.  She had spent a good two hours complaining about the pink-haired girl and how her vacation was ruined because of her.

            Rei had gotten into it at that point, saying that no one could have had a worse vacation than she had, seeing as how she didn't get one.  And then there was the real reason behind her grandfather sending her to the other shrine – the shrine elder's grandson.

            "Grandpa must be having a harder time dealing with me and Minako than I thought," Rei had said.  "But that boy sure didn't have any problems with it.  When I told him about her, he suggested I invite Minako for a visit so the three of us could 'get to know each other better.'"

            Minako laughed at the suggestion, but for a moment Makoto had wondered if the blonde would seriously consider such a thing.  The thought was lost however as Minako reiterated once again how great a time she'd had in England.  The wedding, the parties before and after, and the massive amount of shopping she'd done were all talked about with great enthusiasm.

            Sailor V was still a popular figure in her own right, especially in her home country.  This was proven by the gifts and souvenirs Minako brought back for her friends.  T-shirts, playing cards, posters, all with the Senshi of Love's former alter ego on them were laid out before Makoto (the only one home at the time, and therefore the first to see it all).  There was even a bumper sticker with "V save the Queen" on it.  Makoto's favorite thing, however, was something she suspected she wasn't supposed to see.  Minako had blushed furiously when Makoto pulled it from the bag.

            "Um… those are for Rei," Minako had stammered, quickly grabbing the article from her friend and hiding it back in the bag.

            Makoto had only laughed.  There was something terribly girlish and innocent, yet very ecchi about those little pink panties with Sailor V blowing hearts and kisses on them.

            "Hi, guys."

            "Ami!" squealed Usagi.  Her argument with Chibi-usa forgotten, Usagi launched herself at Ami.  "We didn't think we'd ever find you!"

            It took Ami a second to recover from Usagi's sudden impact.  When she did, and Usagi had loosened her grip enough for Ami to breathe, she said, "The gate's right over there, Usagi.  And the airport isn't too crowded, so I'm sure you would have spotted me if you hadn't been otherwise occupied.

            "Hello, Chibi-usa," said Ami, smiling down at the girl.  "I'm surprised to see you here."

            Before the girl could respond, Minako broke in with, "What do you mean the gate's right over there?  We've been by this spot at least three times, and there is no gate twelve!"

            Ami pointed over her shoulder and to the left.

            The girls followed her finger, then moaned a collective sigh of defeat.

            Minako turned and glared at Rei.  "You are never leading us anywhere ever again."

            "Hello, girls," said Ami's mother, stepping up to the group.  Taking note of all the bags they carried, she asked, "Are you going someplace?"

            "We're going to the beach," answered Chibi-usa.  Turning to Ami, she added, "Hotaru and the others are coming, too."

            "It's a sort of get together for the last day of summer," explained Makoto.  "We're hoping you'll let Ami come with us."

            Mizuno Kaya smiled.  "Of course," she said.  Then to Ami, "Go, have fun.  But be home at a respectable hour.  You need to get unpacked and have things ready for school in the morning."

            "Thank you, Mom."

            "Yeah, thanks Mizuno-san!" said Usagi.  She grabbed Ami's arm and started pulling her away.  "Come on, Ami.  We only have…"

            "Nineteen hours, twenty-eight minutes," answered Minako on cue.

            "…of vacation left.  And you're the only one who can find the exit to this place."

            "Hey, I resent that," said Rei.

            Minako giggled and put an arm around Rei.  "It's okay, Rei.  I still love you, even if you can't find your way out of a clear plastic bag."

            "You know," frowned Ami, "I'm not really dressed for the beach.  And I don't have a swimsuit.  Maybe I should go home first."

            "Oh, no," said Makoto.  "We've lost enough time as it is.  Besides, we came prepared."

            Rei held up a yellow duffle bag.  "You'll be borrowing some of Usagi's clothes today.  We've got shorts, a t-shirt, and a bathing suit complete with matching towel."  She smirked at her friend.  "No excuses, Ami.  You are coming with us now, and you are going to have fun, whether you like it or not."

            Ami blushed slightly and quietly said, "Thank you.  For coming here and everything."

            "You're welcome," answered Makoto.  "And now that we're all back together we can really enjoy ourselves.  You have no idea just how boring it's been without you."

            Rei noted to herself that the smile on Ami's face right that moment was bright enough to light the darkest of rooms.  She also wondered how the person it was aimed at could be so blind not to see it.

            Kaya watched as Ami and her friends disappeared into the airport.  For so many years Ami had been a loner, spending all of her time reading or studying.  She fondly remembered the faint shock she'd felt the first time Ami had asked if she could go to the arcade with her friend, Usagi, after school.  That shock was nothing compared to the joy she'd felt for Ami when, several months later, the girl nervously told her about the sleepover Usagi and the others had invited her to – at fourteen, her first ever.  The want and happiness in her little girl's eyes had been so clear then, just as it was today when she saw her friends waiting for her.  One friend in particular, Kaya thought.

            "Whatever makes you happy, my little Ami," whispered Kaya to her daughter's retreating form.

*            *            *

            Ami sat in the library waiting for the others to finish whatever after-school activities they had.  Her books were set neatly around her, her biology book open to today's assignment.  She wanted to finish as much of her own homework as possible before heading over to Rei's because she was sure her time this afternoon would be devoted entirely to Usagi and her English homework.  Only two weeks into the new term, and Ami was certain this would be Usagi's worst subject.

            Ami's concentration was broken by a loud laugh.  The sound was quickly muffled, but several glares still found their way to the aisle behind her.

            She didn't bother turning around.  Ami had seen the three boys come in together.  Two of them she recognized from her own class.  The third she didn't know.  And in the silence of the library all three were being annoyingly loud.

            Trying to ignore the conversation, Ami turned back to her textbook.

            "That's nothing," loudly whispered the boy Ami didn't recognize.  "Besides, Juri's easier than…"

            Ami cringed at the crude language she couldn't block out.

            "He's right, Taro."  One of her classmates this time.  "Now the one I got…"

            "Come on, Satoshi.  You've been teasing us for days with this.  We've told you about ours.  So give."

            Ami could imagine the self-satisfied smirk on the boy's face as he strung his friends along.  Finally he answered, "Kino."

            Ami's heart stopped.

            "Kino?  The amazon from class three?  Why?"

            "Because I could.  And I thought she'd be more of a challenge.  But a nice smile and a few sweet words were all it took.  She had to have been the easiest lay since…"

            A chair scratching loudly across the floor disturbed the conversation and brought unhappy stares from the people across the library.

            "Geez, Mizuno, could you be any louder?" Yuu called to the embarrassed girl.

            Ami ignored him and quickly gathered her books together.  Concerned only with escaping the library, Ami shoved her notes and books into her bag and made a hasty retreat.  She could hear the boys laughing at her as she hurried away.

            Once outside, Ami leaned against a tree and let her bag fall from her numb fingers to the ground.  It took a great amount of effort for her not to join it.

*            *            *

            Ami cut through the water at a moderate pace.  She reached the end of the pool, turned her body, and pushed off the wall.  One more lap and maybe it would all start to make sense.

            Whether she had the right or not, what she'd heard in the library bothered her.  From the day they'd met, Makoto had chased boys.  But it had never gone any further than the chase.  It hurt just a bit thinking this time it might have.  And of all people, why Yuu?

            Ami turned and pushed off the wall with more force than the last pass, gaining speed as her mind pitched questions at a faster pace.

            Maybe it hadn't happened.  It wasn't really like Makoto to indulge in a one-night stand, was it?  Plus, she hadn't said anything about meeting anyone.  But if it had gone badly she would probably keep it to herself.

            Ami had watched the girl for some sign that her heart had been broken yet again.  Nothing seemed different, though.  So Ami began to believe Yuu was just talking with no facts behind his words.  She would have been perfectly happy believing this forever.

            Her shoulders and back were beginning to ache, but Ami didn't slow her pace through the water.  Her mind finally hit on the part that had brought her to this place.

            At the last study meeting, Ami had looked up from a book she hadn't been reading to find herself alone at the table.  Looking around, she saw Usagi lying on the floor not even trying to hide her manga anymore.  Rei had gone off to print her report and never come back.  She didn't know where Minako had gotten to.  Later she was told Minako had gone to help with the printer when Rei called for help and Ami didn't so much as blink.

            And Makoto?  She wasn't there because she'd skipped this meeting just like she'd skipped every other meeting this week.  It wasn't just the study meetings, either.  For several days, Makoto had run late and missed walking to school with them.  At lunch, she would disappear, saying she had something she had to do.  Suddenly, she was finding excuses to be anywhere but with her friends.  At first, Ami thought she might be trying to hide Yuu from them.  But she had seen him alone too many times when he should have been with Makoto for that to be true.

            Ami stopped at the pool wall, holding on to the edge and breathing hard.  She found her way over to the ladder and climbed out.  Picking up her towel, she began to dry her face and arms.

            _She's avoiding us,_ thought Ami.  _Why?_

            With a sigh, Ami dropped her towel and moved back to the edge of the pool.  After a few deep breathes, she dove back in.

            Yuu had a big mouth.  If he had gone about spreading rumors, that might explain Makoto's behavior.  Ami didn't travel in the gossip circles, that was more Minako's territory.  The blonde might have heard something, but likely wouldn't bring something like that up in the group.  Maybe she had said something to Makoto or possibly Rei.  Which meant Rei might know, but there was no way to ask her without telling her what had happened.

            Why would Makoto run from a rumor, though?  She was more likely to fight back than try and hide.  Unless it was true.

            Ami's arms hit the water hard, pulling her at a steady pace.  She came to the wall and pushed off for another lap.

            A sudden splash and flash of dark hair let her know she was no longer alone.  Ami slowed her pace to accommodate her new partner.

            Three more laps and the two girls came to a rest.  Ami folded her arms and rested her head on them.  After several minutes had passed, she turned to her friend.

            "What are you doing here, Rei?"

            "Well," answered Rei while still trying to catch her breath, "when neither you or Makoto showed up to the meeting we got a little worried."

            "But the meeting isn't until seven."

            Rei held her arm so Ami could see her watch.  8:03 pm.

            "Oh, Rei, I'm so sorry," apologized Ami.  "I lost track of the time, I guess."  Then she frowned.  "Makoto didn't come again.  Did she say why?"

            "No, because she didn't call.  When we called her apartment, there was no answer.  Same thing with her communicator."  Rei smirked, "We had the same problem with you.

            "Anyway," continued Rei, "Minako and I split up to look for you.  Usagi went to check on Makoto.  Usagi called in just before I got here and said Makoto's pretty sick.  She fell asleep after she got home and wasn't even thinking about the meeting."

            Ami shook her head.  "It's not like her to just forget."

            "No, it's not," said Rei.  "It's not like you, either.  You've both been acting distracted and distant lately.  What's going on?"

            Ami turned away from Rei and rested her chin on her arms.  "I don't know," she said quietly.

            "Did you tell her?"

            Ami closed her eyes.  "No."

            Rei's hand rested on Ami's arm.  When the blue-haired girl looked at her, Rei said, "You can't keep running from your feelings forever."

            Ami grinned.  "You know, she said something very similar to me once.  Except she was talking about me and Ryo.  I told her we were just friends, but Makoto was certain I was afraid of being in love and using friendship as an excuse to hide from it."

            Rei smiled.  "She hit it right on the nail, didn't she?"  Ignoring the bright blush on Ami's cheeks, she continued, "And to be honest, back then we all thought you had feelings for Urawa."

            "He was a nice boy and he did care for me.  But, well," Ami sighed, trying to find the best way to describe her feelings.  The thought came to her and was out of her mouth before she could think enough to stop it.  "It was never Ryo I wanted to scratch behind my ears."

            Rei just stared at Ami in shock.  For a while now, she had been after Ami to talk about her feelings for Makoto. The girl was usually so shy about it all that this statement completely floored her.

            "All right, Ami, forget what I said about not being pushy on this matter.  You have got to explain that one to me."

            "Do you remember when we first met Makoto?"

            Rei nodded.

            "I was holding Luna.  Makoto saw her and smiled one of the best smiles I've ever seen on her.  When she came over to pet her, my mind completely blanked out.  All I remember thinking was 'I wish she'd do that to me.'  It's the only time I've ever envied Luna her position."

            "Wow, Ami.  I never would have thought you had it in you."

            Suddenly feeling very shy, Ami looked away and across the empty poolroom.  "Do you need to call Minako?" she asked, remembering the other girl was also looking for her.

            "No, I called her as soon as I realized you were here."  Rei reached around and took Ami's hand.  Examining it, she said, "You're all pruney.  Ready to go?"

            Ami nodded and the two girls moved to the ladder and climbed out of the pool.

            Rei picked up her pool-issue white towel and put it around her shoulders.  "What?" she asked when she noticed Ami staring at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

            Ami couldn't find the words, instead gesturing at Rei with her hands.

            "Oh, come on, Ami.  We're the only ones here.  Besides," Rei looked down at the purple bra and panties she wore, "I've had bikinis that covered less than these do."

            "I… I guess," answered Ami.  "Still, it wasn't what I was expecting."

            "I wasn't expecting to go for a swim, or I would have brought a suit."

            Rei headed for the locker room with Ami close by her.  The girls changed, Rei using the hand dryer to dry her undergarments as best she could before redressing.  Together they left the sports center.

            Ami thanked Rei for walking her home as they parted at Ami's door.  As Ami moved through her house, she decided she would stop and check on Makoto before going to school the next morning.  Makoto had probably been feeling poorly all week, which could explain why she didn't want to be social.  And now that it had finally caught up to her, she'd need someone to take care of her.

*            *            *

            Ami shifted her school bag to the same hand as the small grocery bag she carried.  With her free hand she knocked lightly on Makoto's door.  No answer.

            _She's probably still asleep, thought Ami._

           Ami put her bags down and stood on tiptoe to reach along the top of the doorframe.  She frowned when her fingers encountered nothing but dust.

            Makoto always kept a spare key out here, Ami knew.  There were too many times when she was in a rush to get to school or hurrying to answer a Senshi call.  After being locked out once because she'd forgotten to bring her keys to the youma battle, Makoto had started hiding a key.  Amy had just assumed it would be over the doorframe, no matter how predictable and careless it was.

            Ami looked around her.  There was no mat under her feet.  No number plate or ornaments to hide a key in either.  So where would it be?

            A smile came to Ami's face as she noticed the potted tree at the end of the entry landing.  Going to it and kneeling down, Ami picked up several of the stones decorating the pot until she found one light enough to be hollow.  She turned it over and slid aside the little trap door.

            _I hope this is yours, Mako-chan, she thought as the key fell into her palm._

            The lock on the door clicked open, and Ami opened the apartment door.  "Mako-chan, it's Ami," she called quietly into the living room.

            Receiving no answer, Ami removed her shoes and moved further into the room.  When she got far enough into the room to see down the hall, Ami saw that the door to Makoto's bedroom was open and there was a light coming from under the closed bathroom door.

            Ami set her school bag against the couch and took the grocery bag into the kitchen.  She set the bag on the counter and removed its contents.

            The Tylenol Cold Ami left on the counter.  Most likely Makoto would keep it in the medicine cabinet over the bathroom sink.  She set the 1-liter of gingerale on the floor next to the refrigerator.  Clichéd maybe, but it was still the best cure for an upset stomach.

            As she opened the refrigerator to put away the orange juice and vanilla pudding, Ami noticed the 'Hello Kitty' calendar hanging on the front.  She wondered what was so important about September 5th.  That day was circled, and each day after until yesterday, the 18th, had been x-ed off in red marker.

            Her tasks in the kitchen complete, Ami went back to the living room and sat on the couch.  She felt strange being in Makoto's apartment without permission.  Making matters worse was that the other girl was right down the hall and had no idea Ami was there.  Good intentions aside, she began to feel guilty for intruding.

            After five minutes and a lot of hand wringing, Ami decided to try and make her presence known.  She moved quietly down the hall, hoping she wouldn't scare Makoto.

            "Mako-chan," she said as she knocked on the bathroom door.

            The door inched open as Ami's hand made contact.  Apparently it hadn't been closed tightly.

            Hearing no protest, and feeling it wasn't possible to intrude any more than she already had, Ami pushed the door open the rest of the way.

            Makoto was sitting on the floor, her back against the bathtub, knees pulled up to her chest.  She was wiping her eyes on her pajama sleeve when the door fully opened.

            "Ami?" she said as she tried to focus on the girl.  "How did you get in here?"

            "I found the key you keep outside," answered Ami as she hurried over to her friend.  She knelt down beside Makoto.  "What's wrong, Mako-chan?  Usagi said you weren't feeling well.  Is it very bad?"

            Makoto's short laugh was devoid of any humor.  "I suppose you could say it is."

            Makoto's eyes moved past Ami's shoulder.  Ami followed her friend's line of vision to the sink.  Sitting on the edge was a white piece of plastic, the bright blue plus sign almost glaring at them.

            All the color drained from Ami's face.

            "Yeah.  I had the same reaction," said Makoto, a few more tears running down her cheeks.


	3. Finding Out pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Notes:  Thanks to everyone who's offered praise and help along the way.  That's what makes it worth it.

Extra Note:  This one's for my mom.  She always understood and always tried to help even without a definite why.  It's true that we never appreciate what we have until it's gone.

**********************

3.  Finding Out: part 1

            Makoto dried her eyes on her sleeve one last time and stood unsteadily.  Her voice just a bit shaky, she said, "I need to get ready for school.  Gonna be late if I don't hurry."

            Before she could walk away, Ami's hand grabbed Makoto's wrist.

            "Ami," said Makoto very quietly without turning around.  "I can't do this right now.  Please."

            Ami slowly released Makoto's wrist.  "Do you want me to wait for you?"

            "No.  I'll see you at school."

            Makoto could feel Ami at her back.  The other girl's voice seemed unnaturally quiet when she said, "You've been avoiding us.  Promise you won't do that anymore.  We need to talk."

            "Later.  I promise," answered Makoto.

            "Will you be at lunch?"

            Makoto shook her head.  "I can't."

            "Mako-chan…"

            Finally turning to face Ami, Makoto said, "Don't tell them.  We'll talk after school.  Minako has play practice.  Usagi and Rei always sneak in to watch.  Meet me in the gym then."

            Ami nodded her agreement.

            "All right," said Makoto.  "You need to get going or you'll be late, too."  With that she turned and left Ami standing alone in the bathroom.

            Ami was in a slight daze as she hurried to catch up to her friends.  Makoto was pregnant, which obviously answered the question of what happened with Yuu.  With this new development, that all important question seemed so insignificant right now, regardless of how closely it was all connected.

            "Hi, Ami!"  Minako's greeting pulled Ami out of her thoughts.  "We were just about to give up on you."

            "I stopped to check on Makoto," said Ami by way of explanation.

            "Is she feeling better?" asked Usagi.  The blonde then grimaced.  "You should have seen it last night.  I swear she turned green right before…"

            "Spare us the details, odango," interrupted Rei.  "How's she doing, Ami?  Is everything okay?"

            The double meaning in Rei's question was clear to Ami.  She answered, hoping but not entirely believing what she was saying.  "She's fine.  Everything's okay, she's just running a little behind this morning.  She said she'd see us at school."

            Usagi moved so she was in front of her friends.  Walking backwards so she could face them, she said, "You know, Mako-chan's been acting funny lately.  I bet she found someone who's just like her old sempai."

            Ami cringed at Usagi's words.  She was saved from anyone noticing as Usagi tripped, stumbled, and fell on her rear.

            The burst of tears and ear-piercing wail from their would-be princess set the girls on autopilot.  Rei set about teasing the blonde for her clumsiness while at the same time very carefully helping her up.  Minako countered Rei's teasing with plies of the sweets she had hidden in her school bag.  Ami went into doctor mode, examining Usagi briefly for any cuts or bruises.

            Ami gingerly turned over Usagi's palm.  When Usagi saw the small scrape there, rather then getting more upset, she grinned.

            "See, Rei," said the vindicated blonde.  "You were mean and called me a baby.  But I really did get hurt, didn't I, Ami?"

            Ami smiled indulgently.  "Yes, you did.  Does it hurt very much?"

            "Yes," answered Usagi, her eyes getting a bit teary.

            "When we get to school, I'll bandage it for you if you like."

            Usagi nodded.  "Thank you, Ami."

            "Well, this is my stop," said Rei as they came to her turn-off.  She handed Usagi the bag she'd been carrying for her since her fall.  "Here you go, Usagi.  I hope your hand feels better."

            "Thanks, Rei," answered Usagi.  As an afterthought she blew a raspberry at her friend.

            Rei returned the gesture, then turned to Minako.  With a few whispered words of affection and a quick kiss, the two said good-bye to each other.

*            *            *

            Minako and Ami were already seated at their usual lunch table when Usagi came running up to them.  This in and of itself wouldn't have gotten much of a reaction, both girls being very familiar with Usagi's attitudes about lunch period and food in general.  What did get their attention was the worried look on the blonde's face and the lack of food in her hands.

            "Do you know where Mako-chan is?" asked Usagi in a near panic.  "I checked the nurse's office as soon as I heard, but the nurse said she'd already gone back to class, and I can't find her anywhere."

            Ami's first thought was, _Oh God, they know._

            Minako looked at Usagi with a mix of concern and confusion.  "What happened that she had to go to the nurse's office?"

            "You mean you haven't heard?"

            Minako shook her head.

            Usagi leaned in a bit closer to the girls.  "Naru told me Mako-chan passed out during phys ed."

            "Is she all right?" asked Ami.

            "I don't know," answered Usagi.  "The nurse only said Makoto went back to class, so she must be okay, right?  But I can't find her to make sure."

            "We should look for her," said Minako.  "Split up and call in when we find her?"

           The other two nodded.  Lunch forgotten, the three girls went in search of their friend.  Just as they parted, Ami was certain she heard Minako mutter something about this becoming a habit.  

            Ami hurried quietly through the library, checking the aisles for Makoto's familiar form.  There were only so many places the girl could have gone in the middle of the day, and they were short on time to spend searching.

            Concluding that Makoto wasn't here, Ami decided to head for the cafeteria.  Maybe she'd changed her mind about lunch and had gone there looking for her friends.

            The cafeteria was in sight when Ami's communicator beeped.  She quickly silenced it and moved someplace private to answer the call.

            Minako's face appeared on the viewscreen.  "I found her, guys," she said. "She's at the benches by the tennis courts."

            "Have you talked to her yet?" asked Ami.

            "No.  I was waiting for you guys to get here."

            "Be right there," answered Usagi.  "Don't let her get away."

            Communications closed, Ami hurried out of the building.

            When she got to the tennis courts, Minako and Usagi were crowded around Makoto.  Usagi was sitting next to her, a hand on her forehead.

            "Maybe you have a fever," Ami heard Usagi say as she got closer to them.  "You shouldn't have come to school today, Mako-chan.  You're still sick."

            Makoto moved Usagi's hand away from her.  Forcing a smile, she said, "I'm not sick, Usagi.  Everything's fine."

            "People who are fine don't pass out in the middle of a soccer game," said Minako.

            "For the millionth time, I didn't pass out," said Makoto, her frustration with the matter beginning to show.

            "Then what did happen?" asked Ami.

            "I got a little dizzy is all," answered Makoto.  "I was in a rush this morning and didn't have time to eat.  And I didn't really eat yesterday because of how I felt."

            Usagi grimaced at her memories from the previous night.  "I still think you look a little pale.  Maybe you should go home early."

            Makoto shook her head.  "Can't.  I have a math test seventh period.  Besides, we have a meeting tonight, and I really need Ami's help with my trig."

            Minako looked thoughtful for a moment.  Then she said, "I agree with Usagi, believe it or not.  Ami?"

            All three looked to her for an answer.  They would do what she suggested, she realized.  As much as she wanted to tell Makoto to go home and rest, Ami felt she would miss the opportunity to talk with her if she did.  Right now that seemed more important.

            "I think she can make it through the rest of the day," answered Ami after a moment of thought.  "As long as she feels okay now and doesn't push herself too much."

            Makoto chuckled.  "Not a problem there.  I bet I can even catch a nap during Watashi-sensei's history lecture."

            The concern was still evident on Usagi's face.  And while Minako didn't seem at all convinced at Ami's assessment, she didn't argue about it.  The decision was made, but none of them looked comfortable with it.

*            *            *

            Makoto dribbled the basketball a few times as she stood at the foul line.  She took aim and threw the ball at the hoop.  She frowned as it hit the rim and bounced back to her.

            Footsteps made her pause in her next attempt.  The person behind her stood silent as Makoto took a deep breath, then shot the ball once again.  This time it bounced off the backboard and rolled off to the side.

            Finally, Makoto turned to face Ami.  "My aim's off," she said with a shrug.

            Ami just stood there silently.

            Makoto sighed and went to sit on the bleachers.  She began to speak, and after several seconds, Ami moved to sit beside her.

            "You know," said Makoto, "I've had that test since Sunday.  I'd get up in the morning and wind up just staring at the box.  I kept thinking that if I waited just one more day…"

            She leaned forward, arms resting on her knees, staring at her sneakers rather then the girl next to her.  "I don't know what to say to you, Ami.  I don't know what to say to any of you."

            "I know about Yuu."

            Makoto's head snapped around.  Ami looked almost as surprised for having said it as she did for having heard it.

            "How?" asked Makoto.

            "I heard him talking with his friends.  He's in my class, you know."

            Makoto nodded.  "I was hoping no one would find out."

            "You're not going to be able to hide it forever.  Unless…"

            It took Makoto a second, but when she understood what Ami was asking, she said, "No.  Not that.  I don't think I could live with it."

            "What are you going to do, then?" asked Ami.

            "Don't know.  I haven't really thought that far ahead.  Right now I'm just trying to figure out how to tell the others."

            Ami placed a hand on top of Makoto's.  "Just tell them.  They'll understand."

            Makoto looked into Ami's eyes trying to gauge what she was seeing without her own emotions getting in the way.  It didn't usually work, but she needed to see Ami's eyes when she said what she was going to next.

            "I didn't want to be alone," said Makoto quietly.  "It hasn't been that bad since my parents, and there he was, wanting to be with me.  I'd known him for all of three days; it was the only way he'd stay.  I knew it was a mistake, but I didn't want him to leave.  I thought if I let him, he would stay just a while longer.  But that's not how it works.  I should have learned that lesson after the first time."

            Makoto looked away from Ami.  There was a difference in the girl's grip on her hands, and she had seen the shift in emotion in Ami's eyes.  She didn't blame her.

            "Do you understand now?" asked Makoto.  "I can't tell her something like that, and you know she'll ask.  She was so concerned about me earlier and she tried so hard to help me last night.  She's got such a kind heart, always worried about her friends.  She sees us as these perfect people who can do no wrong by her.  I can't bear to see the shame and disappointment in her eyes.  It's bad enough seeing it in yours."

            Just realizing how her grip had tightened on Makoto's hands, Ami let go of the girl.  For a second she hesitated, hand halfway to its intended target.  Then she swallowed the worst of her emotions and let her fingers rest on Makoto's cheek.

            Gently turning Makoto to face her, Ami looked back into the other girl's eyes.  "I'm not ashamed of you," she said quietly.  "I'm worried about you because I can tell you're hurting.  I admit I was a bit thrown by all of this, but I still feel exactly the same about you as I did last week or last year."  Ami smiled and carefully wiped away the tear that was running down Makoto's cheek.  "The others will feel the same way, Mako-chan."

            For just this once, Makoto decided to let down the wall that kept out all her dreams and fantasies.  She heard in Ami's voice and words what she wanted to hear, regardless of what context they had been given in.

            Reaching forward, Makoto pulled Ami to her.  The hug was awkward because of the angle they were sitting at, but Ami didn't pull away.  After a second's hesitation, she even returned the hug.

            Just like she'd done with Ami's words, Makoto allowed herself to feel what she most wanted.  In this one moment, she was being held by someone who loved her the way she wanted to be loved.

            A throat being cleared got the girls' attention and they pulled apart.

            The basketball coach wore a cocky grin as she said, "Take it somewhere else, ladies.  Practice is about to start."

*            *            *

            The little girl stood at the auditorium doors, a huge grin on her face.  She had come to watch the blonde girl during practice every day this week.  So far this was her favorite part of the play.

            The blonde, whose name on stage was Gisette, sighed.  Her manner suggested she wished for nothing more than for the boy talking to her to go away.  The girl then shrugged resignedly and turned to face the boy.

            "My life is a salad bowl," said Gisette, "and I seem to be the onions."

            The boy, Gabriel, smirked at her.  "You do have a way of making people cry."

            Gisette perched on the edge of her writing desk.  "Only when cut into, my dear Gabriel.  And then, only the very weak of heart."

            Gabriel's humor was high as he asked, "And I, my lovely Gisette?  What am I in the salad bowl of your life?"

            The little girl glared at the two girls who were giggling quietly in the back row as Gisette regarded Gabriel for several seconds.

            "You are the garlic," Gisette finally announced.  "Tolerable only in small doses and apt to leave a foul sort of aftertaste."

            Gabriel's smile dulled somewhat as he moved closer to Gisette.  "The lady wounds, or at least attempts to.  But may I point out that if we are what you say, then you and I are the perfect match."

            "Shoot him down, girl," loudly whispered the dark haired onlooker.  Her blonde companion put a hand to her mouth to try and hide her laughter.

           "I think not," said Gisette, standing to her full height and staring straight on at Gabriel.  "I have no desire to be doubly repulsed.  And let's not forget your wife – the perfect cherry tomato."

            The blonde in the audience looked scandalized.  "I knew it!  The cad!"

            Another round of giggles erupted from the girls, who were both still oblivious to the death stares being shot at them from the partially opened doorway.

            On stage, Gabriel laughed heartily at Gisette.  "Is that what she is?" he asked.

            "Mmmmm… Round and brightly colored, the perfect showpiece of any salad.  But let's face it, when you get right down to it, there isn't much substance to be found within."

           "Too true," answered Gabriel with a sad shake of his head.  "But dare I ask, Gisette, what does that make your husband?"

            Gisette snorted derisively.  "My husband is a day old slice of bread lying comfortably on a pretty china plate watching the salad and waiting for someone to liven his life by applying a pat of butter or smear of jam.  No, Gabriel, my husband is no cherry tomato.  But my husband he is and I won't be changing that any time soon."

            The dark haired girl nudged the blonde.  "Hear that?  I'm moldy bread and she still loves me just the way I am."

            The blonde nodded.  "Especially with jam."

            The dark haired girl had a huge smile on her face.  The child knew she was going to make a comment about the one on stage liking strawberry best.  Yet, just as the words were about to be said, the dark haired girl paused.  The smile left her face and she turned to the doorway.

            _Uh oh, thought the little girl.  __Looks like it's time for me to leave._

            The door closed quickly as the child bolted down the hallway toward the exit.  She was almost there when two girls suddenly appeared in her way.  She skidded to a halt, barely able to keep from running into them.

            The taller of the two yelled at her to watch where she was going.  The little girl didn't respond, just maneuvered around them and out the doorway.

            Rei came hurrying out of the auditorium, Usagi at her heels.  "Where did she go?" she called to Ami and Makoto when she saw them standing in the hall.

            "Who?" asked Ami.

            "That kid," answered Rei.  "She had dark hair and some sort of weird headband or something on her head."

            "She ran out the door," answered Makoto.  "She was moving like the devil was at her heels.  Guess this explains why."

            "Why were you looking for her?" asked Ami.

            "I wasn't.  Not really."  Rei frowned and shook her head.  "It was nothing."

            "Are you sure?" Makoto asked.  "We could go look for her."

            "No," answered Rei.  "She was just an annoying kid.  Nothing to worry about."

*            *            *

            Kaya made a few more notes in the margin of the paper in front of her, then closed the file.  With a weary sigh, she removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

            A light knock on her open study door made Kaya turn.

            "Goodnight, Mom," said Ami.  "I'm going up to bed now."

            Kaya smiled and motioned to her daughter.  "Come kiss your mother goodnight."

            Ami walked over to her mother and bent down, Kaya placing a light kiss on her forehead.  "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

            "You, too, Mom," answered Ami. Noticing the stack of files and papers scattered on the desk, she added, "Don't stay up too late with all of this.  You've been working hard, and you need some sleep."

            Kaya chuckled.  "I think that's supposed to be my line."

            Ami turned from her stomach to her side, twisting her sheets around her legs in the process.  After a short struggle and several annoyed kicks, the sheets joined the comforter on the floor.

            Now on her back, Ami blinked up at her ceiling.  She was tired, but couldn't fall asleep.  Not permanently, anyway.  She was sure she had drifted off a few times.  Yet, each time her mind would seem to latch on to some new thought and pull her into consciousness.  She was tired of thinking; all she wanted now was sleep.

            Finally, Ami just gave up.  She would be getting up for school soon anyway.  She got out of bed and pulled on her robe, then headed downstairs to get breakfast.

            The house was still dark, and as Ami walked to the kitchen, she noticed the light on in her mother's study.  Peeking her head in the doorway, Ami saw Kaya asleep on the small couch in the room.  Her glasses were sitting at an odd angle on her face and her feet were propped up on the arm of the couch.  On her chest was a closed folder, her hand still holding it loosely.

            Ami smiled at the familiar sight, finding comfort in knowing some things would never change.

            _And you always worry about me working too hard, thought Ami as she entered the room._

            She first went over to the end table that sat next to the couch.  Ami picked up the travel alarm that rested there and made sure it was set to the usual time.  She gave a small nod when the clock showed 5:30 am.  That would give her mother about an hour more of sleep.

            After putting the clock down, Ami moved over to the desk.  She meant only to turn the desk light off.  But as she reached for the switch, her arm bumped an over-balanced pencil holder that was sitting precariously on a stack of notepads and medical journals.

            Ami made a grab for the pencil holder, catching it and managing to keep all of its contents intact.  When she reached for the pencil holder, however, her hip had gone forward and clipped the stack of paper, knocking it off center.  While her position against the desk had kept most of it from falling completely, a few of the notepads slid past her and landed with a _thwack! on the hardwood floor._

            Ami quickly set the pencil holder down and righted the pile of paper.  She turned to the couch, ready to apologize for disturbing her mother's rest.  The apology died on her lips, though, as she saw Kaya still sleeping soundly.

            With a sigh of relief, Ami bent to pick up what she had knocked to the floor.  She wasn't afraid her mother would be upset with her.  In all honesty, she couldn't remember her mother ever being truly angry with her for anything.  The relief she felt came more from knowing she hadn't taken away the sleep her workaholic mother so needed.

            Ami stood and placed the notepads on her mother's desk.  No, her mother had never been angry at her.  Because Ami had never given her reason to be.  She never lied, or cheated, or broke any of the rules.  Well, except for those few occasions where Senshi duty required it.  For some reason, those instances seemed to be simply overlooked.  A small favor from Fate, perhaps, to make things a bit easier.

            "Easier," murmured Ami as she ran a finger along the top of the small notepad that sat on top of the pile.  She could feel the raised print of her mother's name and title on the pad of her fingertip.

            Without allowing herself to think about it, Ami tore the first few pages off her mother's prescription pad and quickly left the room.

*            *            *

            "I don't want you taking phys ed anymore," said Ami.  "Not after what happened yesterday."

            Makoto stared at the paper Ami held out to her.  They were standing in Makoto's apartment an hour before school was to start.  For the second day in a row, Ami had surprised her with an early visit.  Under better circumstances, Makoto would have been glad for her friend's newfound habit.

            "What is it?" asked Makoto.

            "An excuse.  A temporary one, at least," answered Ami.

            Makoto took the paper and read the brief note.  Her eyes darkened with the sudden anger she felt.  "I told you not to tell anyone.  Why did you tell your mom?"

            "I didn't."

            "That's her signature."

            "No, it's not," said Ami, quietly bowing her head.  "It's mine."

            "Oh."  Makoto's anger died out as Ami tried to hide her eyes.  Deception wasn't something Ami was comfortable with and it showed.  "I can't take this," said Makoto with a shake of her head.  She tried to hand the note back to Ami.

            Ami refused to take it back.  "You have to, Mako-chan.  Until you go to a doctor, it's the only way to keep you out of that class."

            "I don't need to be kept out of that class.  You don't have to worry about me."  Makoto put a hand on Ami's shoulder so the girl would look back up at her.  "It's nice that you're trying to take care of me, but I don't want you compromising yourself to do it.  I promise I'll be careful."

            "Like you were yesterday?" asked Ami.  She looked at Makoto and tried to sound firm.  This was necessary for her friend.  She herself was irrelevant.  "You push yourself too hard, Mako-chan.  You may not mean to, but you do and you will.  Pushing yourself that extra bit physically is how you deal with stress."

            Makoto grinned.  "And I suppose next you're going to tell me I'm under a great deal of stress?"

            Ami nodded.

            "All right," relented Makoto.

            "As I said," continued Ami, "it's only temporary.  It's authentic enough and shouldn't be questioned, but you need to see a real doctor.  You also need to consider telling the others.  The longer you put it off the harder it will be.  Not to mention, you risk them finding out some other way."

            "I've been thinking about that a bit, actually."  Makoto turned towards the kitchen.  "Do you mind coming in here for a few?"

            Ami followed Makoto into the kitchen.  She took a seat on one of the barstools as Makoto opened the refrigerator.

            "I noticed these last night," said Makoto.  She pulled out two of the pudding cups.  "I'm going to have to find a way to thank my snack fairy."

            Makoto sat next to Ami at the breakfast counter and put one of the cups and a spoon in front of her.  Ami declined the offer, resisting the urge to point out vanilla pudding wasn't a proper breakfast.

            Makoto shrugged.  "More for me.  Anyway," she continued between spoonfuls, "about telling the others.  I was thinking about waiting until after Minako's play.  That way, I won't be taking away any of her spotlight.  Plus, it gives me some time to figure out what I'm going to say."

            "Makes sense.  And the doctor?"

            "You're not going to let that part go, are you?"  Makoto sighed.  "Look, Ami, it's been a long time since I went to a doctor, so I don't really have one.  Aside from that, I've never been to… one of THOSE doctors before.  I'm not looking forward to it."

            Ami could see the slight blush rising to Makoto's cheeks.  She was about to respond when the clock on the wall chimed at half past the hour.

            "Damn," said Makoto.  "Come on, we have to hurry.  The principal said if I'm late one more time this term, I'm going to be spending my afternoons making up for it in detention."

*            *            *

            Rei sat quietly in front of the fire.  Eyes closed, her breathing controlled, she tried to concentrate on what the flames were trying to show her.

            After a time, the shape of the fire began to change.  The feel of it became different, losing some of the warmth Rei always associated with the sacred flame.  Around it now she could see a stone hearth that stretched across a stone wall.  The wall took on more form, becoming a room fashioned from cold stone.

            Along the walls were windows of dark stained glass which blocked any sunlight from entering the room.  Around the windows were curtains of sheer dark blue.  The material was the same as that which formed a canopy around the large bed that dominated the room.

            On the bed was a quilt of deep blue with intricate gold stitching.  A pile of pillows at the headboard had the same stitchwork decorating them.  And right in the middle of the pile of pillows slept a dark tabby cat.

            The feeling Rei had been trying to grasp heightened at the sight of the little cat.  It wasn't so much a sense of evil and dread was too strong a word.  Trouble was the only thing she could think of and a certainty that something was going to happen.

            Rei looked around at the shelves of knick-knacks and ornaments that decorated the room.  Most of the objects seemed to be made of either glass or crystal.  The one that caught her eye, though, was a golden statue of a cat that sat on a shelf over the fireplace.  As she stared at it, the cat defied its place in the order of things by standing and stretching.  Gold flakes rained down to the carpet as the cat shook itself.

            The now sandy-furred cat jumped down from the shelf, moving to where Rei would have been had she truly been standing in the room.  Firelight glinting off its shiny red collar, the cat circled her several times, regarding her curiously with its blue eyes.

            Finally coming to rest behind her, the cat rose and placed its front paws on Rei's shoulder.  Purring, it nuzzled against her neck.  Just as Rei's senses were registering how soft the cat's fur felt, she was overwhelmed with a new sensation.  The cat was sucking on her earlobe.

            Rei snapped back to herself just as a hand was working its way inside the front of her dogi.  She grabbed at the hand, stopping its progress.

            "Welcome back," whispered Minako into the ear she had been favoring.  She sat back from Rei and smiled at the miko.  "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

            Rei blinked at Minako a few times before her mind fully focused.  Finally, she said, "I thought your mom said you couldn't stay tonight."

            "Daddy changed her mind."  Minako smirked.  "They've been fighting all afternoon.  I think they want some time to make up without having to worry about me hearing."

            "That was more information than I needed," said Rei with a grimace.

            Minako laughed.  "Sorry.  Allow me to make it up to you."

            Minako leaned forward and pressed her lips gently to Rei's.  When she felt the other girl begin to respond, Minako put her hands on Rei's shoulders and carefully pushed her onto her back.

            After several minutes, the girls broke the kiss, both breathing hard.  Minako stared down at Rei, her finger toying with the dark, sweaty bangs that covered Rei's forehead.  She idly wondered how long Rei had been in front of the fire this evening.

            "Actually," started Minako quietly, "there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

            Rei refocused at the sudden seriousness in Minako's voice.  She took her hands from Minako's hips and put them behind her head.  "What is it?"

            Minako rolled off of Rei and lay beside her on the floor, hands under her head imitating Rei.  "Makoto and Ami," she began, "they're hiding something from us.  I'm not buying the whole anemia story.  Ami couldn't even look us in the eye when they were telling it to us at school."

            "I thought it sounded a little strange when I heard it from Usagi.  But I just chalked that up to it coming from Usagi," replied Rei.  "Any ideas?"

            "No.  And I'm not even sure she's lying.  The truth is, I'm afraid Mako-chan is sugarcoating whatever's wrong.  And if it's really serious, we're going to find out when it's too late."

            Rei chuckled lightly.  "You're not beginning to believe Usagi's theory that Makoto is really dying, are you?  Because even Usagi is over that now."

            Minako frowned and shook her head.  "That isn't what I mean."  She looked over at Rei.  "All of you are my responsibility.  If we have to go into battle and she isn't up to a fight, I need to know.  That way, I can be sure we're prepared."  Minako lifted her fingers to gently caress Rei's cheek.  "Otherwise, someone might get hurt."

            Rei took the hand that was against her cheek.  She brought it to her lips and kissed the palm, then the inside of the wrist.  She heard Minako sigh, and moved over the girl in a reverse of their earlier position.

            Rei leaned in close and kissed Minako's forehead.  She then pulled back enough so she could look into her eyes.  "If it were truly serious, Mako-chan would tell us.  As for whatever secret they may have, for right now let's just let them have it."  Rei smiled.  "We all have our secrets, after all."

            "Just until I graduate, Rei," said Minako more seriously than Rei wanted her at the moment.  "I'll tell them then.  I promise."

            "I know, Mina."  Rei bent to nuzzle Minako's neck, kissing her way back up to the girl's soft lips.  She felt Minako relax beneath her and lost herself in the sensation.

            Everything was going perfectly right up until the door slid open and a teapot crashed against the floor.

*            *            *

            Ami put a hand to her mouth to hide her yawn.  It was out of reflex rather than politeness, seeing as how she was the only passenger on the bus.  The 1:00 am route tended to be pretty light on riders.

            Ami leaned her head against the window and tried to keep from falling asleep.  She was thinking maybe it would have been better to stay the night at Makoto's after all.  But two nights in a row seemed to be pushing it, especially since she'd told her mother she would be home.

            The bus came to her stop.  As Ami gathered her things to get off, she looked at her watch.  She felt like she needed more sleep than she was going to get for school tomorrow, but she hadn't wanted to leave Makoto's any sooner.  Coming home to an empty house was never something she looked forward to.

            Things had gone well with Makoto's fake medical condition.  Things seemed to be going smoothly for everyone.  Then something happened with Rei and her grandfather sometime Saturday night.  She had shown up on Makoto's doorstep, sleeping bag and Minako in tow.  The two of them had spent the night on Makoto's floor.  Rei never said what exactly happened, only that they needed to move the study meetings somewhere else for a while.

            Makoto's apartment was nominated for the week.  Since she couldn't find a good reason not to agree, the group started meeting there last night.  Not that it had been a real meeting.  Minako's play, "The Shop Keeper," was opening, and the girls had used the apartment solely as a meeting point on the way to the school.

            Usagi, Makoto, and Ami had met Rei at the auditorium.  They watched the play, and when Minako came out for her bow at the end, all four were on their feet and cheering.  It was a rare thing for a second year student to get the leading role, and they were going to give their friend all the attention she deserved.

            Afterward, they had stopped for ice cream, the four girls each chipping in to treat Minako.  When Usagi's sundae was placed in front of her, Makoto's eyes lit up.  The thing was twice as big as her double scoop, covered in chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and cherries, with chocolate covered Oreo's decorating the sides.

            Before the waitress could get away, Makoto caught her and pointed to Usagi.  "Could I have one of those, too?  But with peanut butter ice cream instead.  The vanilla kind."

            The waitress nodded.

            Makoto thanked her, then turned back to her fudge swirl double.  "What's wrong?" she asked when she noticed the others all staring at her and Usagi protectively holding her sundae close to her.

            "That's an awful lot of ice cream, Mako-chan," said Rei.  "Trying to out-eat Usagi isn't a great idea."

            "Leave the poor anemic girl alone, will ya," said Makoto.  "Anyway, it'll help build up my blood count."

            "Your blood count isn't what's going to get built up if you keep eating like that," laughed Minako.

            Makoto stuck her tongue out at the blonde.

            Rei was right, Ami thought.  It wasn't a good idea to try to outdo Usagi.  Ami could tell the moment Makoto's indulgence turned on her.  All in all, she was amazed Makoto made it back to her apartment building, even if she didn't make it to her apartment.

            And Ami had stayed.  She had changed from her uniform at Makoto's earlier, so she was covered for school this morning.  Makoto gave her a t-shirt to sleep in, and Ami had briefly hoped she would forget to ask for it back.  Maybe she could offer to wash it and then accidentally forget to return it…

            That little fantasy aside, tonight's meeting couldn't really be called a meeting, either.  Rei had left a half hour into it; she planned on being there each night Minako was on stage.  The half hour she had been there was occupied with finalizing the plans for the surprise closing-night party they were having for Minako.

            Ami hadn't lasted much longer than Rei.  She had cram school to get to.  As could be expected, Ami's absence pretty much killed the study part of the meeting.

            When her classes were over, Ami decided to stop back by Makoto's.  Usagi was still there, saying her parents didn't expect her home until nine, so she and Makoto had made a cherry pie to kill some time.

            "She fell asleep about a half hour ago," said Usagi, pointing to the couch.  "She looked like she was getting really tired, so I washed the dishes for her.  I ate most of the pie, anyway, so it was only fair."

            After Ami and Usagi said good-bye, Ami decided to stay for just a bit longer.  So she curled up in a chair with her book and watched her friend sleep.

            Now here she was, struggling with her house keys, after declining Makoto's offer to spend the night.  Ami finally got the door open and dropped her books in the foyer.  All she wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep like the dead.

            "Ami."

            _Oh, no.  She isn't supposed to be home._

            "Could you come in here, please."  It wasn't a question, Ami could tell by the tone of her mother's voice.  It wasn't one she heard often, and it was never directed at her.

            Ami walked slowly into the living room, not knowing entirely what to expect.  "Mom?"

            Kaya removed her glasses and set the papers she was reading on the ottoman of the chair she sat in.  "You're home a bit late, aren't you?  Cram school got over at eight, and I was under the impression that you would be coming home right afterward.  Or did I misunderstand something you told me?"

            Ami's eyes were on the floor as she mumbled out, "No, ma'am."

            "Where were you?"

            "At Makoto's."

            Kaya nodded.  She was expecting that answer.  She could understand Ami wanting to spend time with her girlfriend, but she was going to expect her to be honest about it.  And after the call she got this afternoon, she needed to know what was going on.

            "I don't have a problem with you wanting to spend time with your friend," said Kaya, wishing Ami would look up at her.  "However, I would rather you just stay the night than have you walking around alone this time of the night.  I also don't expect you to lie to me about where you're going to be.  Believe it or not, Ami, I do have some idea about what's going on in your life, even if I'm not here as much as either of us would like."

            "I know, Mom," answered Ami quietly.  She glanced up at her mother.  What she saw wasn't as bad as she feared.  But she could tell her mother was waiting for something more.

            After a significant pause, Kaya finally asked, "Do you have anything you'd like to add?"

            Ami thought perhaps her mother would like her to promise it would never happen again.  But seeing as how she was being chastised for lying, adding one more to the pile seemed like a bad idea.  "No, ma'am," said Ami with a shake of her head.

            Kaya sighed.  Then she got up and began to pace.  Ami knew right then that she had given the wrong answer.

            "As I was saying," began Kaya, her words sounding as measured as her strides, "I don't want you out this late at night by yourself, especially on school nights.  The world's a dangerous place, Ami.  You never know what kind of people you'll run into when no one is looking."

            Kaya motioned for Ami to sit.  Ami did as instructed.

            "At work," continued Kaya, "we have all sorts of safeguards in place just because of those kinds of people.  Some of them seem ridiculous on the surface, but really do have a point to them.  For instance," here Kaya waved her hand as if she were just pulling the example from thin air, "they make us keep count of the number of pages on our prescription pads."

            Ami's reaction was minute, but Kaya saw it just the same.  That bit of panic in her daughter's stance told her some of what she needed to know.  Yet Ami remained silent, so she continued.

            "That can be a tricky thing, mind you," went on Kaya.  "Things can get pretty hectic in the ER, and it's easy to lose count once in a while.  I've come up short once or twice myself."

            Kaya went back to her chair and sat.  "The ER can be a crazy place.  So much so, that some people just get to the point where they can't take it anymore.  I knew this one woman a few years back.  She was a very good nurse, but she just got to the point where she needed a less stressful job."  Kaya chuckled.  "Imagine her thinking high schoolers would be less stressful.

            "Anyway, I got a call from her today.  We've kept in touch, you see.  It seems one of my patients is a student at the high school where she works.  She was hoping I could enlighten her to the seriousness of the girl's condition."

            A choked sob from Ami cut Kaya off.  Her heart broke at seeing her little girl cry, but things had gotten serious.  She needed information if she was going to help at all.

            "You know what I'm asking you, Ami," said Kaya firmly, but not unkindly.  "You've involved me in something without my permission and I want to know what's going on."

            "She's pregnant," said Ami quietly.

            Kaya felt that if she hadn't been sitting right then she would have fallen.  "Excuse me?"

            "She's pregnant," repeated Ami a little louder this time.   "She just found out, and she refuses to go see a doctor.  But she pushes herself too hard physically.  It's how she is.  There was an incident in gym class the other day, and I needed to get her out before she did something stupid."

            "Hold on a second, Ami," said Kaya.  She rubbed at her eyes for a moment, trying to get rid of the feeling of having the floor pulled out from under her.  "We are talking about Makoto, right?"

            Ami nodded.  She wiped at her cheeks and sniffled.

            Kaya tried to refocus.  "What about the father?  Her boyfriend?" she asked uncertainly.

            "No," answered Ami, "he isn't."

            Kaya frowned at a new thought.  "Was it consensual?"

            Ami nodded.  "It's not something she's proud of, and she hasn't told him.  I don't think it would matter if she did.  He isn't the type to stay."

            "I'm at a loss right now, Ami," admitted Kaya.  "This is so far from anything I was expecting to hear."  Kaya took a deep breath and released it, pushing aside the doubt she felt and coming to a decision.  "While I can understand you wanting to help her, I can't just overlook how you went about it.  For the rest of the week, the only two places you'll be going are school and home.  If I find out you've gone anywhere else, we're going to be having another conversation like this one.  Am I making myself clear?"

            "Yes."

            "Ami, look at me."  Kaya leaned forward in her chair, her expression soft.  "I don't want you to think you have to hide things from me.  If you ever need help, come to me and tell me."

            Ami smiled weakly and nodded.

            "All right, it's late.  Get to bed."

            Ami stood and headed for the hall.  At the entryway she hesitated for a moment, then went back to her mother.  As she bent for a hug, Ami whispered, "I love you, Mom."

            Kaya held her daughter tightly.  "I love you, too, sweetheart."

            Ami released her mother from the embrace and headed to her room.  As she disappeared up the stairs, Kaya was left to wonder how well she knew her daughter after all.

*            *            *

            Kaya poked at her salad with her fork.  "So obviously it isn't what I thought it was," she finished explaining to the man sitting across from her.

            Ken couldn't help but grin.  "Kaya, you are the only woman I know who could be disappointed to find out her daughter isn't sneaking out to have sex with her girlfriend."

            Kaya frowned.  "That has nothing to do with it.  Not entirely, anyway.  Besides, I like this girl.  She would have been good for Ami."

            "Are you sure?"  Ken put up his hands defensively at the look Kaya shot him.  "I'm just saying maybe you don't know this girl as well as you think."

            "I know my daughter's friends," said Kaya defensively.  "I may not be soccer mom of the year, but neither did I just hand Ami a credit card and turn her loose on the streets.  And I do listen when she talks to me.  When we were away, every other sentence from Ami had something to do with Makoto, and I don't even think she realized it.  While it's been a few decades, I do remember what it was like to be young and in love for the first time.  I thought that's what I was seeing in her."

            "Maybe you are," speculated Ken.  Kaya tilted her head quizzically, so he continued.  "The first time I fell in love, it was with the girlfriend of the school's ace pitcher.  She was completely unobtainable, but that didn't stop me from thinking about her all the time."

            "I'd rather I was wrong about her being in love," said Kaya, "than to have her in love with someone who won't love her back.  I remember what that was like, too."

            Ken reached across the table and put a hand over Kaya's, giving it a brief squeeze.  Kaya smiled at the gesture.

            "Regardless of how deep it runs," continued Kaya, "Makoto is Ami's best friend and she wants to help her."

            "What about her family?"

            "She hasn't got any," answered Kaya.  "She basically raised herself.  When I stop to really think about it, I'm amazed something like this didn't happen sooner."

            "What are you planning on doing?"

            "There isn't really much I can do.  There is this one thing, though."  Kaya put on a smile that was solely for Ken.  "Makoto has been reluctant to see an OB.  And I'd really like for her to be treated by someone who will handle the situation with a bit of tact."

            "I have some time open on Friday," said Ken with a grin.  "If you can get her to call the office this afternoon, I'll make sure they know where to schedule her."

            "I was hoping you would say that."  Then Kaya frowned.  "Except, what's your schedule like on Saturday?"

            "Why?"

            Kaya looked down at her salad and idly pushed a few pieces of lettuce around.  "I'm guessing Ami's going to want to go with her, but I grounded her until Saturday."

            Ken chuckled.  "I was wondering how you handled that."

            "It was too harsh, wasn't it?"  Kaya sighed.  "I had to do something.  I swear the last time I had to discipline Ami for anything was when she was four.  Grounding her was the only thing I could think of."

            "You grounded her for three days, Kaya.  That isn't harsh.  If it had been one of mine, they'd have been grounded for a month."  Ken favored Kaya with a reassuring smile.  His eyes held hers and she smiled back.

            The moment was broken by a high-pitched beep.  Ken pulled out his beeper.  "The Ogawa baby," he said.  "Guess this means lunch is over.  I'll talk to my receptionist and see what she can juggle around for Saturday."

            With a quick kiss, the two said goodbye.  Kaya gathered the remains of her lunch and disposed of them.  She then headed home to try and get some sleep before she had to go on shift later tonight.

            When Ami got home from school that afternoon, she found a note from her mother.

                        _You get one phone call this afternoon.  Make it count._

_                                    Saatchi Ken – OB/GYN_

_                                    03-2845-3209_

_                                    Sometime Saturday_

_                        PS – Wake me at five and we'll have dinner together._

_                                                            Love, Mom_


	4. Finding Out pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer:  Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me.  I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Note:  For my own personal demon spawn.  My life is better for having you in it.

**********************

Chapter 4: Finding Out – part 2

                        Makoto fidgeted as she waited for the pharmacist to fill her prescription.  She knew it was mostly her imagination, but she felt like everyone was staring at her.  Why were there this many people in the drugstore anyway?  It was a nice Saturday afternoon.  Didn't they all have someplace better to be?

            She got up and walked a few feet so she could see out the door.  Ami was outside waiting for her, but Makoto couldn't see her from here.

            "Kino."

            Makoto turned when the pharmacist called her name.  She took the bag the man handed her, ignoring the disapproving look he wore at the sight of her bare ring finger.  She paid quickly and went outside to look for Ami.

           After several seconds, Makoto spotted Ami outside the bookstore across the street.  She had picked up a book from the outdoor display and looked to be lost within its pages.

            "Looks like it has you pretty interested," said Makoto as she walked up to Ami.  "May I?" she asked, holding out her hand.

            Ami closed the book and handed it to Makoto.  'Raindrops in the Garden & Other Short Stories' was written in shiny green script across the cover.  Makoto smiled, then took the book and went inside the store.

            "Mako-chan?" questioned Ami, following behind her.

            "You like it, right?"

            Ami nodded at Makoto's question.

            "Well, I'm buying it for you.  It's a thank you for my snack fairy."

            "You don't have to do that."

            "I know.  But, you see, she's been really good to me recently," explained Makoto, "and I've been pretty rotten to her.  She keeps forgiving me, though."

            Makoto paid the clerk, then turned to a quiet Ami.  Ami was never terribly talkative, but ever since their phone conversation Wednesday night, she'd barely said three words to Makoto.

            That phone call had been a disaster, Makoto thought.  She had yelled long and loud at Ami, not caring about what the girl had gone through for her.  All Makoto heard was that one more person knew her secret, and Ami was the one who had told.

            That conversation had ended with a teary sounding Ami saying she was sorry and would Makoto please call the doctor anyway.  As soon as she hung up the phone, Makoto had begun to feel guilty.

            The next day at school, Makoto had pulled Ami aside and told her how sorry she was.  When she thanked Ami for her and her mother's help it was with an honest gratefulness.  She'd even already called the doctor's office.  Her appointment was Saturday at 2:00 pm, and if Ami wasn't still upset with her would she please go with her.

            Ami had nodded and said of course she would.  And Makoto was forgiven, because Ami understood.  The apology had been given and accepted, yet to Makoto things still felt wrong somehow.

            Ami accepted the gift Makoto handed to her.  "Thank you," she said.

            They walked together in silence for a while, until Makoto couldn't take it anymore.  "I'm not mad at you anymore," she blurted out of nowhere.

            Ami looked at her questioningly.  "I didn't think you where, Mako-chan."

            "You're acting like you do," answered Makoto.  "Ever since Wednesday night.  I know I handled that badly, Ami.  I mean, if anyone should be angry, it's you.  You keep doing all this stuff for me, now your mom, too, and all I do is yell at you and get you in trouble."

            "It's okay, Mako-chan.  I…"

            Makoto cut her off.  "Don't say you understand.  Yell, scream, call me names for using you, anything.  Just stop saying it's okay and that you understand."

            "All right.  You're an ingrate, Kino Makoto," said Ami, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.  "Feel better, now?"

            "Not really," said Makoto.  "But I'd rather listen to you call me names than not have you saying anything to me at all.

           "I know I've said it before," went on Makoto, "but I really am sorry about that night.  All I kept thinking was that more people knew, and I haven't even told anyone yet.  This is all happening to me and it's like I have absolutely no control over any of it.  I don't like that feeling.  You were just the unfortunate one who was there when I cut loose."

            "You're forgiven, Mako-chan.  Honestly," said Ami with a grin.

            "Maybe, but I still want to do something to thank you.  Your mom, too.  That book is just a token."  Makoto thought for a minute.  "I know.  When things settle down a bit and your mom has a free night, I'll make dinner for you.  Something big, with all of your favorites.  Dessert, too.  There's this recipe I found for a chocolate-peanut butter cake I want to try.  This'll give me a great excuse."

            Right on cue, Makoto's stomach grumbled.

            Ami giggled.  "I guess we know where that idea came from."

            Makoto grinned sheepishly.  "I am kind of hungry.  Do you think we have time to stop for a burger before we go to Haruka's?"

            "I don't see why not," answered Ami.  "Everything for the party was pretty much done by last night, from what you told me.  All we have to do is stop by your apartment to get the cake and drop it off before we go to the high school."

            "Great."  Makoto smiled teasingly at Ami.  "You know, it's probably a good thing you got grounded this week.  Because even with Minako and Rei gone, if you'd actually shown up at the meeting, we would have wound up studying.  I never would have had time to finish the cake, then."

            Ami sighed.  "It's good for you, perhaps, but Usagi is going to fail her next English test.  In any case, I'm just glad no one asked what was so important at home that I couldn't make it to the meetings."

            Makoto nodded at Ami, deciding it would be a bad idea to tell her their friends had actually wondered about it.  They were just too polite to pry beyond the 'Ami wants to spend time with her mom' excuse Makoto had given them.

*            *            *

            Aika walked back stage to the area that had been designated the girls' dressing room.  "Hey, Minako," she called happily, "I think your stalker is escalating."  She set the bouquet of peach colored roses on the table in front of Minako.

            "Thanks, Aika."  Minako pulled out the little note card and smiled hugely.

            Aika's voice had brought over the other girls in the room.  They gathered around Minako, ohhing and ahhing at her latest gift from her mystery fan.

             "So what does it say this time?" asked one of the girls.

            "Same as every other time," answered Minako.  "'Break a leg and I'll bring the jam.  Signed, Moldy Bread.'"

            "That's somehow less than romantic," said Aika.  "Couldn't he profess his undying love of your beauty and talent?  Or at the very least say what kind of ice cream he plans on hiding your severed digits behind."

            "Jeez, Aika!" complained one of the girls.

            "Forget the sentiment," said Yukari.  "I want to know who keeps sending these roses.  Spill, Minako.  Who's the mystery guy?"

            Minako's smile turned secretive.  She turned from the girls and went back to fixing her makeup.

            The girls groaned collectively.  Minako heard mutterings about the unfairness of it all as Aika set them back to their tasks.

            Minako knew who the roses were from, of course.  Rei hadn't actually tried to be secretive when they were alone.  "Just because," Rei had said when Minako asked about the single peach rose and note card that were left on her dressing table opening night.  Each night since then, there had been a rose and note waiting for her.  Thus the teasing about a mysterious stalker fan.

            Minako reached over and fingered one of the soft petals.  There were half a dozen this time rather than the singles she'd gotten the other five nights.  She wondered why the extravagance tonight.

            Looking over her shoulder at the other girls, Minako wondered what would happen if she told them about Rei.  What would they say if she told them about the silky black hair that framed a beautiful face with deep and mysterious purple eyes?  Eyes that could always see into her soul and know all the things she tried to hide from others.  Would they sigh with envy if she tried to describe the soft lips and gentle hands that held her and took away all the hurt and burdens she carried around with her for so long?

            They would envy her, she thought.  They would also giggle at the girlish romanticism of it all and then proceed to spread the news of how Aino Minako was in love with the psychic girl from TA.  That was the sole reason she kept quiet about her mystery fan.

            Very simply, Minako's parents didn't know about her and Rei.  It was very likely that if the collective of the school found out, it would eventually reach her parents as well.  After all, the parents gossiped as much as their children.  Minako just wasn't ready to deal with their reactions, yet.  And while there were those who knew, Rei's grandfather included, Minako felt relatively secure that those people would never cross paths with her parents.

            "All right, everybody," called Aika, "it's time.  Tonight, we go out with a bang."

            A wave of excitement rose up as the students filed out to take their places on the stage.  So occupied where they, that no one noticed a pair of amber eyes staring out from a dark corner or the low hiss that issued from their owner.

*            *            *

            Hotaru sat in the windows outside the auditorium waiting for Chibi-usa.  Michiru and Setsuna were inside, holding seats for everyone.  Haruka was with Hotaru out in the hall.

            Hotaru looked over to where her Haruka-papa had been corned by some fans.  She was rather enthusiastically relating something to the girls who had gathered around her.  Hotaru grinned and lifted the camera she had hanging around her neck.  She snapped a picture as the young girls continued to moon over her papa.

            Keeping the camera to her eye, Hotaru gazed at the people milling about in the hallway.  Her lens landed first on an old woman standing patiently by a display case.  A teenaged boy dressed as a butcher put a hand on the woman's shoulder.  She startled, but her expression became happy and she put her arms around him.

            _Snap.  Hotaru smiled.  That would be a good one._

            Moving her focus further down the hall, Hotaru saw another boy about the same age as the butcher.  He was dressed in baggy jeans and a dark green t-shirt.  Headphones were on his ears, and he was playing something on a green Gameboy, yet his expression and the way he slouched against the wall made him appear to be very bored.

            _Snap._

            Her lens next caught a little girl running into the hall from another part of the building.  She was wearing a school uniform, but Hotaru didn't know what school it was from.  The girl's hair was dark brown and came just past her shoulders.  And on top of her head…

            "Cat ears?" mumbled Hotaru to herself.

            Before Hotaru could snap a picture of the girl, a face popped up into her viewfinder.

            Hotaru bobbled her camera.  Balancing it, she frowned at the boy in front of her.  He had blond hair, brown eyes, and a playful smile.

            The boy blithely ignored the look Hotaru was giving him for interrupting her shot.  "Hi," he said, "my name's Ti.  What's yours?"

            "Hotaru."

            "That's a neat camera, Hotaru," went on Ti.  "Where'd you get it?"

            Hotaru's mood towards the boy quickly lightened as he brought up her current favorite thing.  "My Setsuna-mama bought it for me for summer vacation.  Michiru-mama plays the violin, and she went on tour.  I went with her and Haruka-papa, and Setsuna-mama wanted me to be able to take my own pictures of the trip."

            "Wow.  You have a lot of parents."

            "So," said Hotaru defensively.

            "I think it's cool.  I only have my brothers and sister," said Ti, pointing to the boy with the green Gameboy.  Next to the boy now stood an older boy dressed all in black and the little girl with cat ears.  "But Shin gets us stuff to play with all the time," continued Ti.  He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a blue and white rubber ball.  "See, he just got me this last week."

            "Ti!  Get over here!" called Shin.

            "Awww, but I was gonna see if she wanted to play," Ti called back.

            "You can play later.  Let's go."

            Ti shrugged his shoulders.  "Sorry," he said to Hotaru, then ran to his brother.

            Hotaru put the camera back to her eye and watched as Ti and his siblings went into the auditorium.  The older brother, Shin, unnerved her.  He looked about the same age as her papa, but stood at least a head taller.  His hair was as black as his clothes, and a small goatee gave him a sinister look.  His eyes were dark as well.  Not the soft brown of his little brother's, but nearly as dark as the depths of space.

            A high-pitched voice calling her name got Hotaru's attention.  She aimed her camera in the direction it had come from and caught Chibi-usa in her sights.  Hotaru smiled.

            _Snap._

            As the film began to rewind itself, Hotaru ran to greet her friend.

*            *            *

            Minako stood and stared in shock at the shredded roses that lay scattered on her dressing table.  The top of the table was a mess, water from the flowers and makeup mixed among the remains of the roses.

            Yukari put a hand on Minako's shoulder.  "Aww, Minako.  They were such pretty flowers, too.  Who would do something like this?"

           "Minako," started one of the girls hesitantly, "you do know who's sending you these, right?"

            "Yes, I know," answered Minako, understanding what an overactive imagination was causing her friend to ask.  "They wouldn't do something like this."

            "It wasn't a 'they'," said Aika.  "It was a 'what.'  If I had to guess by the paw marks, I'd say a cat," she explained, pointing to the paw prints left in the mess on the tabletop.  "I'm sorry, Minako.  I left the window open.  It must have come in through there."

            "It's not your fault, Aika," said Minako sadly.  "And this is going to be a pain to clean up."

            "The sooner we get started…" said Yukari.  She went over to the table and bent to right the overturned chair.  Instead she stood, a bright smile on her face.

            "Hey, Minako," said Yukari, "look what I found.  And it looks like it survived pretty much intact."

            Minako took the rose Yukari held out to her.  "Thank you," she said, happier to have at least one to keep with her.

*            *            *

            "It looked like Artemis had a temper tantrum," Minako explained to her friends as they walked to the parking lot.

            The entire group was together tonight.  They were headed back to the Outers' house, ostensibly for a spur of the moment, take-out dinner.  In truth, Setsuna's clan had offered their house for the party the girls wanted to throw for Minako.

            The school parking lot was all but deserted as they tried to figure out how to fit ten people and two cats into Haruka's and Setsuna's cars.

            Minako was leaning up against the door of Setsuna's car, tapping the surviving rose absently against her cheek, when a small hand took hold of her arm.  She looked down and saw a little girl about Hotaru's age with costume cat ears on her head.

            The little girl grinned up at Minako.  "Hi.  My name's Kei, and I thought you were really great in the play."

            Hotaru followed behind Chibi-usa, her arms outstretched for balance.  Together, they tightrope-walked along the logs that ran the perimeter of the parking lot as they waited to be told who they were to ride with.

            A small bark got the girls' attention.  They knelt down to the puppy it had come from.

            "Aren't you cute," said Chibi-usa to the little golden retriever.  She scratched the top of his head.

            The puppy barked as if to agree.  His tail wagging gleefully, the puppy ran over to the grass and picked something up in his mouth.  Then he ran back over to the girls and dropped the blue and white rubber ball in front of them.

            "Do you want to play with me, now?" asked the puppy.

            Both girls stared wide-eyed in shock.  Then something clicked in Hotaru's mind.  "Ti?"

            Makoto sighed in frustration.  They had been so careful in planning everything out.  Why hadn't anyone thought about the driving arrangements?  She was just about to suggest that some of them walk when she noticed the little girl talking to Minako.  She squinted her eyes, thinking maybe they were playing tricks on her in the twilight.

            "Hey, Rei," said Makoto, nudging the dark haired girl beside her, "look at the kid over there with Minako.  Is it my imagination or does she have a tail?"

            Rei turned to look at her girlfriend.  When she saw the child, her mind flashed quickly to a stone room, a large bed, and a kitten lying in a pile of pillows.  Rei cursed under her breath and started for Minako, only to be stopped as a teenage boy stepped in front of her.

            His grin was less than friendly as he said, "That's my sister over there.  She likes your friend, but I think I like you better."

            From the shadows, Shin watched as his younger siblings found their desired targets.  The playroom was already a bit cluttered, but he supposed a few more additions couldn't hurt.  Besides, this would be a good exercise in how and not how to get the things you wanted.

            The black dog that was Shin's true form relaxed into the shadows and waited.

            Kei's head turned quickly when she heard her brother's words.  Her grin turned to a scowl as she glared at him.  "Not that one, Kai!  I don't like her!"

            Kai huffed at his little sister.  "Like I care."

            "I said no!"  Kei's grip tightened on Minako's arm, her nails digging into the skin.

            "Ow!  Let go," said Minako, trying to pull away.  The child's grip was like iron.  Little rivulets of blood began to drip from where her nails were digging in.

            Kei turned back to Minako.  Her lips were pulled into a feral grin, her eyes glowing amber in her anger.   "I said I liked you.  I plan on keeping you," said the girl, a slight hiss to her tone.

            Kai was steadfastly ignoring his sister, instead focusing on Rei.  "How about you come home with me," he said as he advanced slowly.  To make his point, a low growl emanated from his throat and his eyes glowed a pale red.

            Before he could get very far, Kai was hit by a ball of bright orange light.  He was knocked off his feet and landed against the concrete wall of a storage shed.  The boy slumped to the ground, not moving.

            Makoto, Ami, and Usagi turned to see Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru already transformed.  Rei didn't bother looking at what she knew she'd see.  Her attention was instead on Minako and the cat girl.

            Kei had Minako on her knees.  One hand clutched at Minako's throat, the other still gripped her arm.  Rei could see Minako struggling to stay conscious as her air was being cut off.

            Without hesitation, Rei charged forward and tackled Kei.  The girl screeched as her grip on Minako was lost.  Minako fell the rest of the way to the ground, coughing and gasping as Rei rolled with Kei.

            Uranus' World Shaking slamming into Kai had drawn the attention of the ones across the parking lot.  Shin looked up from his place in the shadows.

            "Well, that was unexpected," he said to himself.  Kai's target was already heading for Kei, and Ti's two were getting ready to join her.  "Not exactly fair, now is it?"

            Shin turned first to his youngest charge.  Might as well let Ti play with his toys rather than have them add to the fray.  Shin's eyes glowed bright red as he stared at Ti and the girls.  His chuckle was a low growl as Chibi-usa ran head first into the barrier that appeared around the three.

            Rei was struggling on the ground with a scratching and hissing Kei.  Uranus and Neptune began to move toward them when Shin jumped into their path.  The two braced to fight the snarling black dog.

            Movement by the shed where Kai had fallen caught Usagi's attention.  She grabbed Makoto's arm, frantically pointing out the boy as he slowly rose to his hands and knees.  His lips pulled back in a snarl and his features filled out to resemble a shaggy German Sheppard.  His red eyes locked on to the three who were staring at him.

            Setsuna stepped between them, giving the girls the opportunity they needed.  Makoto grabbed Usagi and Ami and pulled them off to the side.  "Come on.  We have to transform."

            Usagi nodded, her brooch appearing in her hand.  Ami hesitated, however, a worried look on her face.

            Makoto noticed and shook her head at her friend.  "There's no time for that, Ami.  Transform."

            Ami held back her argument and called her henshin pen.  Duty first, she reminded herself, a speech Luna had given them not so long ago coming back to her.

            The other two in the midst of their transformations, Makoto held her henshin pen before her.  "Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-up!" she called out.  She could feel the slight physical change that signaled her transformation beginning.  The familiar feeling of light and power began to envelop her.  And then abruptly stopped.

            Makoto blinked in confusion at the henshin pen in her hand.  She looked at the other two, now transformed.  They looked as confused as she felt.  Once again she held the pen before her and called out her transformation phrase.

            Nothing happened.

            From the parking lot, they heard Neptune scream.  It was followed by an angry yell from Uranus.

            "Go," said Makoto.  "Don't worry about me.  Just help them."

            Sailors Moon and Mercury obeyed their friend's command and ran to help the others.

            Makoto watched as they left, her hand wrapped so tightly around her now useless henshin pen that her knuckles were turning white.

            Chibi-usa and Hotaru were stuck inside the enclosure Shin had trapped them in.  They pounded against it futilely, screaming to be let out, as Ti yipped excitedly and jumped around their feet.  Shin was now staring down Pluto, while Kai had made a lunge for Neptune.  He had managed to get his teeth into her leg.  Ami was certain he was going to regret that as Uranus unleashed a Space Sword Blaster at him.  Uranus' attack landed and Kai was thrown once again, landing with a pitiful yelp against a tree.

            Ami looked over and saw Rei.  The miko was still struggling with Kei, who, while still in human form, had taken on more felinoid features.  Her fingernails were long and sharp as they slashed across Rei's chest.  Her fangs were obvious as she hissed her anger at her opponent.

            Just as Kei's arm came up with the intention of raking across Rei's face, Venus' Love Me Chain wrapped around her arm.  The action caught both girls by surprise, and they looked over to see Venus glaring daggers at Kei.  With a sharp tug, Venus pulled Kei off of Rei.  The cat girl yowled as she landed hard against the ground.

            The pained cries from his two younger charges pulled Shin's attention away from Pluto.  Kai was closer to Ti now, struggling to get up.  His right front leg was giving him no support and looking from Shin's perspective as if it were broken.  Kei was on her back, dazed.  Her plaything had transformed like the others and was looking very unhappy.  And here there were two more running in to make things worse.

            Shin ground his fangs together.  This was too much trouble to go through just so the kids could have a few more toys to play with.  His decision made, Shin turned from Pluto and started running towards Kei.

            Reverting back to his human form as he moved, Shin pushed a wobbly Venus aside and grabbed Kei by her shirt collar.  He hauled her up and headed towards the other two, ignoring his little sister's protests.

            "Kai!  On your feet!  We're going home," called Shin.  A portal quickly opened near Kai.  "Ti, say goodbye to your friends."

            Kai managed to limp the few feet to the portal and stumbled through.  Ti whined in disappointment, but obeyed his older brother and made a run for the portal as soon as the barrier dropped.  Shin and Kei followed on Ti's heels, and the portal closed a second later.

            Those Senshi who needed to detransformed.  Michiru was leaning against Haruka, trying to keep the weight off her injured leg.  Minako leaned against Setsuna's car and slid to the ground.  Rei quickly joined her, the two checking each other for injuries.

            "Guess I had a stalker fan after all," said Minako with a weary chuckle.  There was bruising around her neck and bleeding puncture wounds in her arm from Kei's claws.

            Minako frowned and gingerly lifted a finger to Rei's face.  She let it hover, not wanting to hurt the girl by touching the scraped bruise on her cheek.  Minako panicked when she saw the slashes across Rei's chest.

            Rei took the blonde's hand and smiled.  "That little brat ruined my jacket and I think there may be some pulls in my shirt, but she didn't break skin."

            Minako sighed in relief.

            Hotaru had run up to Michiru.  The little girl had an arm around her mama's waist, feeling as if she were offering some support even though Michiru's full weight was on Haruka.

            Setsuna was wrapping a handkerchief around the bite on Michiru's calf, telling the young woman she should probably go to the hospital, just to be safe.  Michiru, for her part, was doing her best stubborn Haruka imitation by refusing and saying they could treat it well enough on their own.

            Makoto was walking slowly towards the group.  Ami saw her, but stayed still, not know what to say or do.  Usagi, on the other hand, ran up to the girl, full of questions.

            "What happened, Mako-chan?" asked Usagi, her concern evident.  "Why didn't you transform?"

            "I… I don't know," answered Makoto.  "I tried, but…"

            From where she stood, Ami could see one of Makoto's walls begin to crack.  Makoto's right hand flexed around the henshin pen she still held.  As tears of defeat filled Makoto's eyes, Ami hurried over to her.

            All of her anger and frustration came to the surface as the others watched her.  Makoto looked into the face of her princess, feeling as if she had failed the girl utterly.  When Ami's warm hand touched her arm, Makoto lost it.

            She shook off Ami's hand and raised her arm.  Her henshin pen hit the ground with a loud clatter and rolled away.  "Damn it!  I don't want it this way!"  Makoto sank to her knees, Ami going with her.  "This isn't what I wanted.  I only wanted someone to stay."

            Ami put her arms loosely around Makoto as the taller girl's head rested on her shoulder.  Ami's heart ached for her friend as Makoto cried quietly.

            The others didn't know what to do, completely lost at what was going on before them.  It was Luna who finally broke the trance everyone had seemingly lapsed into when the usually strong Makoto broke down.

            Luna walked silently up to the girls, stopping Usagi from bending down to them.  The black cat watched for a moment, hearing Makoto apologize over and over as she cried.  "Mako-chan," she said quietly.

            Makoto looked down at Luna.  Their eyes held for several seconds.  Then Luna shook her head in disappointment.  She wouldn't have thought the girl to be so careless as to let something like this happen.

            Luna turned to the group.  "We're having an emergency meeting at Makoto's.  We'll get you all bandaged up there.  Setsuna, I would appreciate it if the Outers came as well."

            Setsuna nodded her agreement.

            That decided, the group split up between the two cars and headed to Makoto's.

*            *            *

            As soon as they got to the apartment, Luna and Makoto disappeared into Makoto's bedroom.  The others spread out around the living room as Haruka and Ami administered first aid to those who needed it.

            Haruka was carefully wrapping a bandage around Michiru's leg.  Even with her rapid healing ability, it would take a few days for the swelling and marks to go away completely.  Not to mention that senshi healing did nothing to alleviate the sting of peroxide on an open wound.

            Minako was getting similar attention from Ami and Rei.  She winced as Ami dabbed on the peroxide, then again as raised voices floated in from the bedroom.  The words were too muffled to understand, but the noise was enough to have everyone on edge.

            "What's going on?" Minako asked Ami quietly.  "I know you know, and that you haven't told us everything.  How sick is she really?"

            Quiet in a small room didn't really count for much.  Haruka proved this by turning her head to them and asking, "She's sick?  What's wrong with her?"

            "She has anemia," answered Usagi from her place on the floor.  "But she said it was under control.  That's right, isn't it, Ami?"

            Ami bowed her head even further to Minako's arm, suddenly finding her bandage the most interesting thing.  She chewed on her lip as she tried to ignore her friends' questions.

            As the others pushed Ami for an answer, Chibi-usa went over to Setsuna.  "Puu," whispered the pink haired girl, "I know why senshi can't transform sometimes.  And I think I know why Mama sent me here now."  Chibi-usa looked to a suddenly quiet hallway.  "My Jupiter tells me about it sometimes.  And Mama reminded me that I wasn't supposed to talk about this at all while I'm here because if they knew about it before it happened then it wouldn't happen at all.  And they need each other too much for it not to."

            Setsuna smiled at the girl.  "I believe you're right, Small Lady.  But take care that you don't accidentally disobey your mother."

            "What are you two whispering about over there?" called Haruka.

            "Nothing of importance," answered Setsuna.

            "I don't believe that," said Michiru.  "You two know something."

            "I wouldn't be surprised if they did," said Makoto as she entered the living room.  "Everyone seems to be finding out without me having to tell them."

            Luna jumped up on the back of the couch with Artemis.  The others in the room all turned to Makoto as Usagi ran up to her.

            "Mako-chan," said the blonde, "how sick are you really?  It's worse than you told us, isn't it?"

            Makoto put on a smile to try and hide the guilt she felt for lying to her friends and making the girl in front of her worry so much.  She reached up and tugged playfully on one of Usagi's ponytails.  "I'm not sick at all, Usagi.  I'm as healthy as I've ever been."

            Usagi looked confused by this answer.  But Minako beat her to the question.  "Then what was wrong?  Because you were sick, Mako-chan.  The meetings you missed, the soccer game, whatever else you and Ami have been hiding.  If it wasn't anemia then why tell us that instead of the truth?"

            "Because," began Makoto.  She hesitated and took a deep breath.  "Because I wasn't ready to tell you yet.  I just needed a little time."

            Usagi reached over and took Makoto's hand.  The gesture was done as much to reassure herself as it was for the other girl.

      Makoto forced a grin.  "It's all right, Usagi.  I promise I'm not dying.  It's just…"  Makoto shrugged, her grin faltering.  "I'm just pregnant."


	5. Living With Fate pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

5. Living With Fate, part 1

"I'm just pregnant."

The silence that descended over the room was almost palpable.

Usagi stared at Makoto. Her mouth opened as if she were going to ask something, and then snapped shut as she changed her mind. Shaking her head slowly, the blonde backed up until she hit the back of the couch.

Haruka chuffed. "Just pregnant? Like a hurricane headed towards shore is just a light shower? Ow!" Haruka glared at Michiru as the girl's elbow landed in her side.

"Pregnant?" asked Usagi. "As in," she arched her hands over her stomach, "gonna have a baby pregnant?"

Makoto nodded.

Rei noticed that the casual smile Makoto had put on for Usagi's sake was quickly disappearing. It was replaced by a tension of sorts, like she was waiting to be hit. Rei looked over to Ami. She didn't look much better. She was still biting her lip, looking like she was holding herself back from something. Rei guessed Ami wanted nothing more at that moment than to go to Makoto and hold her the way she had in the parking lot.

No one seemed to know what they were supposed to say. They were all more or less banking on Usagi to ask the question they all wanted to – How? But the blonde remained as silent as the rest of them.

Luna finally rescued them from the awkwardness of the moment. "It's why she couldn't transform," said the cat rather unnecessarily. "I didn't think I'd have to have this conversation with any of you so soon, but as it is apparently necessary, you might as well all hear it at once."

"Wait a minute," said Minako, putting her hands up in a stop gesture. "Just hold on. She just dropped a major bomb on us, and you're acting like it's just some little thing she forgot to mention. And you," she turned to Ami, "you knew about this all along, didn't you?"

"Yes," answered Ami quietly.

"Don't be mad at her," said Makoto. "She wanted me to tell you right from the beginning. I made her promise not to tell anyone."

"How long have you known?" asked Rei.

"For certain, almost two weeks," answered Makoto. She gave Rei an apologetic smile, hoping the meaning would be clear until they could speak properly. "I was going to tell you next week, when we were done with Minako's play and everything."

"Regardless of the where's and what for's" broke in Luna, "Makoto is out of commission until the baby is born."

"Why?" asked Haruka. When she realized what kind of look she was getting from the others, she clarified, "I mean, I know you can't send a pregnant girl out to fight youma. But why couldn't she transform?"

"Simply put," replied Luna, "your transformations, as well as maintaining them and performing your attacks, put a certain physical demand on your bodies. Pregnancy does the same thing. Those demands conflict with each other and therefore the two states can't exist at the same time. And, unless in a last resort, life or death situation, the pregnancy will always take precedence."

"'Last resort, life or death' being?"

"You as the last living thing standing between the princess and whatever annihilating force has swept over the planet and destroyed or killed everything but you and the princess."

"At which point you're pretty much toast anyway," said Minako with a frown.

Luna nodded. "Precisely."

"She'll be able to transform again, though?" asked Usagi. "After… um… the baby?"

"Yes," answered Luna.

Usagi looked at Makoto, the initial shock in her expression fading. "And you're not sick? Not at all?"

Makoto couldn't quiet meet Usagi's eyes. "Not unless you count the morning sickness, no. Usagi, I'm sor…"

Usagi cut her off. "You shouldn't have lied to us Mako-chan," she said as she stepped back over to the girl. "I was worried about you. We all were. But I'm glad you're not actually sick."

Makoto was surprised as Usagi reached up and put her arms around her neck. She relaxed a bit into the hug the blonde was offering to her.

Standing on tiptoe and leaning close to Makoto's ear, Usagi whispered, "And even though she shouldn't have lied either, I'm glad you've had Ami to help you."

Makoto tensed as a light blush came to her cheeks.

"I'm hungry," was declared from across the room.

Everyone turned to stare at Chibi-usa.

The little girl fidgeted from foot to foot. "Well, I am."

Michiru grinned. She had noticed Setsuna nudging the girl gently. Believing she understood what Setsuna was trying to do, Michiru decided to help.

"I admit I'm a bit hungry myself," said Michiru. "We did miss dinner, after all. Perhaps we could order something like we had planned?"

"That's a good idea, Michiru," responded Setsuna. "We should stick to our previous plans. I'll go and pick up the food. Minako can join me."

"I want to come, too," chimed in Hotaru. "And Chibi-usa."

Setsuna smiled indulgently at her child. "All right. We could use the extra hands to help carry things in."

Before she could offer any protests, Minako was being handed her jacket and pulled to the door by two little girls and a Time Senshi.

* * *

Minako's chin rested on her hand as she stared out the passenger window of Setsuna's car. She wasn't really paying attention to where they were going, so when the car came to a stop outside the restaurant, she was startled by the swiftness of the trip.

Minako noticed Setsuna watching her. Setsuna gave her a small smile, then turned to the girls in the back seat.

"I have a very important job for you two," Setsuna said to Hotaru and Chibi-usa. She reached back and handed Hotaru some money. "Go next door and look for a calendar. They should be out by now. Pick out something pleasant. Also get a small notebook, like the kind Michiru-mama uses for the grocery list."

"Okay," replied Hotaru. She grabbed Chibi-usa's hand and pulled her out of the car.

When the girls were gone, Setsuna said to Minako, "I'm going to place the order. You can wait here if you'd like."

Minako nodded and went back to staring out the window. After a few minutes alone, she got out of the car and went across the street to stand at the railing overlooking the river. Across the way, car lights ran in strings along the highway and across the bridge. The water lapped gently against the wall below her. It was easy for Minako to lose herself here.

"It's beautiful here at night, with all the lights," said Setsuna as she came to stand beside the girl.

"Mmmm… It's peaceful, too. A good place to come and think." Minako's mouth turned up into a grin. "Assuming the sound of the water doesn't put you to sleep in the middle of your thoughts."

"What is it you need to think about tonight?"

Minako laughed. "Like you'd even have to ask."

"I suppose not," answered Setsuna. "But I'd still like to hear your thoughts."

"Right now, my thoughts are making me feel like a very bad friend." Minako sighed. "I knew something was up with those two. I should have pushed them for answers instead of just letting it go. We would have been ready for the attack, at least, if I had."

Setsuna watched as Minako tried to work out the night's failures for herself. She believed the girl would grasp part of it on her own. However, it seemed she would miss the larger aspect without a bit of direction.

"I think we handled things well enough," replied Setsuna.

Minako brought her hand up to her throat and the yellowish bruises that were mostly covered by her jacket collar. "It could have gone better," she said. "And if you three hadn't been there, we would have had some real trouble."

"But we were there," countered Setsuna. "For the time being, we are all here."

Minako looked over at Setsuna, realizing she was including not only the Outers in her statement, but Chibi-usa as well. "No offense, Setsuna," began Minako carefully, "but telling me I have to replace Makoto, our best fighter, with Chibi-usa is… well…" She thought for a moment and then pointed over to the bridge. "It's like telling me to pull out one of those reinforced steel support beams and replace it with a flag pole. I don't think she's useless, not at all. But she's nowhere near the fighter Makoto is."

"What is there to fight?" asked Setsuna. She turned to look out over the water. "The world is, for the most part, at peace. The universe is calm. There are no new or even old enemies to defeat. Save the occasional stray youma, the threats we are meant to face are nonexistent. For the time being, at least." She looked over to Minako as the girl tried to pull together the loose strings of what she was telling her.

"So you're saying we don't need Makoto right now." Minako frowned and shook her head. "No, it doesn't sound right when I say it that way. We need her. But right now it isn't necessary for her to be a Senshi. The timing isn't just a coincidence, is it?"

Setsuna shook her head. "There are no real coincidences in life. Fate plans everything out very carefully."

"Fate," said Minako incredulously. "You're trying to tell me that it's her fate to be 16, unmarried, and pregnant?"

"How did you come to be here, Minako?"

Minako blinked in confusion at the sudden change of subject. "Huh?"

"How did you come to be here?" repeated Setsuna. "What things in your life have brought you to where you are now?"

Minako's brow furrowed. "A lot of things, I guess. My parents, since they made a lot of decisions for me. My friends and everything we've gone through together. The people I knew back in England and all the battles I fought when it was just me and Artemis."

"You were in England without your parents for a while, weren't you?" broke in Setsuna.

"If you know all of this, why do you need me to tell you?"

"Indulge me. Please."

Minako sighed. She turned back to the lights, leaning her arms against the railing. "Yes, I lived with a friend for a few months after my father was transferred back to Japan. There was someone there. But it didn't work out. Turned out he was really in love with my friend. It hurt so much when I found out."

"And now?"

"Now I'm happy for them. It still makes me a little sad," admitted Minako. "He was my first love, after all. But if I hadn't had my heart broken back then, I never would have left England. If I hadn't left, I wouldn't have come here and met Rei." A smile came to Minako's lips. "It's so much better with her, Setsuna, because this time I'm being loved back."

"Fate can seem cruel at times," replied Setsuna, "but it is always fair."

Minako took a moment to think back on what she'd just said and tied it together with what Setsuna was telling her. "I… I think I understand what you're saying where it regards me. My fate was to be here."

Setsuna nodded, "To fulfill your destiny."

"Right," went on Minako. "I would have stayed in England for Alan, no matter what Artemis might have said. I had to leave, so I had to lose Alan. And now I have Rei. And that makes her what? Some sort of consolation prize?"

"No," said Setsuna with a soft chuckle. "I would think that Rei is more like the grand prize."

"Damn right she is," answered Minako. "But how does this apply to Makoto?"

"Think for a moment, Minako. Makoto, just like all of us, had a destiny to fulfill. What is the one thing that could have kept her from that?"

Minako's eyes widened just a bit as she found her answer. "Her parents," she said quietly. "Setsuna, that goes so far beyond cruel…"

"It was their time," said Setsuna calmly. "That was decided before they were even born. For Makoto, though, losing them – her only family – was a defining moment. It made her who she is and it brought her here when she was needed."

"And what? Fate decided it would be really fair and have her get used by some low-life jerk?" said Minako, her anger at whatever forces ran the universe showing. "Better yet, let's throw in a pregnancy just for laughs. That isn't fair, Setsuna, and we passed cruel a long time ago."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it." Setsuna placed her hands in her jacket pockets and leaned her back against the railing. "Maybe I'm wrong this time."

"Oh, no." Minako wagged a finger at the Time Senshi. "You're never wrong. And you were going somewhere with this, no matter how much I may dislike it. Now, let's see…" Minako took on a thoughtful expression and tapped her finger against her lips. "She's getting something to replace something that was taken from her. That's it, right?"

Setsuna nodded. "It's what I believe, yes."

Minako sighed. "She lost her family, so now she gets a new one. You know, I resent that Fate or whatever thinks we don't count enough to be considered her family. And there are better ways to go about it than this."

"We don't always get a choice. And as I said, it may be a matter of timing and opportunity." The corner of Setsuna's mouth turned up into a crooked grin. "There may also be a bit more to it than just the baby, if I'm interpreting what Small Lady said correctly."

Minako's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the older woman. "You're not going to explain that are you?"

"I'm afraid not."

"All right, then. I have a question for you."

Setsuna looked down at the blonde, her brows arched in curiosity.

Minako wore a grin as she said, "You said we've all given things up to our destinies. So what about you? Has Fate been fair to you?"

Setsuna paused for a second. Across the street, she noticed two little girls coming out of a shop and running up to the curb, waving.

"Setsuna-mama," called Hotaru, "we got the calendar. It's got all kinds of fairies and sprites on it."

Minako laughed quietly. "I suppose that's my answer," she said when she saw Setsuna's face soften at the sight of her daughter.

"I suppose it is," responded Setsuna. "The three of them are more fairness than I ever expected to receive."

As she and Setsuna crossed the street, Minako said teasingly, "Any more great knowledge you'd like to impart to me tonight?"

In a serious tone, Setsuna replied, "A good leader knows the strengths and weaknesses of those under her. Rather than crushing them for each of their failures, she will find a way to make them stronger."

Minako stopped midstep in the center of the street. "I was just kidding."

Setsuna graced her with an enigmatic smile, but kept walking.

Minako found her feet and hurried to catch up to the other three as they headed into the restaurant.

* * *

Makoto sat on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. Lying on the covers in front of her were her henshin pen and communicator. Her chin resting on her knees, she stared at the objects.

A knock on her door pulled Makoto from her thoughts. "It's open," she called.

Minako opened the door enough to stick her head in the room. "So this is where you're hiding," she said with a smile.

Makoto gestured to the blonde. "Come in." As an afterthought she added, "And I'm not hiding. My stomach's bothering me, and I wanted to be able to sit for a few minutes without everyone staring at me."

Stopping just inside the doorway, Minako pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No," said Makoto quickly. "No, I didn't mean it like that. Actually, I'm glad you're here. Gives me a chance to apologize about ruining your party. Rei planned everything out so carefully."

"Usagi even managed to keep it a secret," said Minako as she went over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah." Makoto sighed. "This is all just one big mess."

"Yes, it is," agreed Minako. She put a hand on Makoto's shoulder. "But the party being messed up isn't your fault. Besides, it wasn't really ruined, just changed a bit. We're having a pretty good time out there." Minako frowned prettily then. "But there's one thing missing."

"What's that," asked Makoto.

"One of my best friends." Minako giggled. "And this just happens to be her apartment, so you can understand how it's a little weird without her there."

"She's glad you're having a good time." Makoto rested her chin back on her knees. "But I'm not good company right now. That sweet sauce we had with dinner was really good for the first few bites, but it isn't sitting well."

"Then you're probably not going to want that cake we saved for you. It's really good, by the way."

Makoto smiled. "Thanks. Maybe I'll get it later."

Minako nodded. Looking at the objects on the bed, she waved a hand over them. "Whatcha been doing?"

"Thinking," answered Makoto. "Remembering what it was like before."

"You're still a Sailor Senshi, Mako-chan," said Minako seriously. "This is only temporary. Well, uh," Minako faltered, a hand going behind her head, "the transformation thing is, anyway. The baby's kinda permanent. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," answered Makoto. "Luna wasn't going to make me tell you if I wasn't going to have it."

"Okay then. You know we're here for you and we'll help however we can. We're your family, Mako-chan, Fate be damned." Minako grinned. "This kid's going to have so many aunts she isn't going to know what to do with all of us. There's just one thing."

Makoto tilted her head to the side in a questioning gesture.

"None of us know what we're supposed to say to you," continued Minako. "Do we congratulate you, tell you how sorry we are that this happened, or just ignore it? All you've done so far is apologize, and we don't know how you really feel about all of it."

Makoto looked down and nudged her henshin pen with her toe. "I'm not sure how I feel. That first morning when I found out was like tonight. I just wanted it all to go away. The rest of the time, I've been trying to ignore it. But there was a moment today…" A small smile came to Makoto's lips.

"Tell me," said Minako when Makoto's pause lasted too long for her.

"I had a doctor's appointment," continued Makoto. "I was sitting there and he was explaining where the baby's at development wise. Right now it's just this tiny little M&M sized blob with a heartbeat." Makoto's voice became very quiet as she said, "It's this strange little life inside of me, and it's my kid. **_My kid__._ And it was just like… ****_wow. I'm not supposed to want this, Minako."_**

"But you do, don't you?"

Makoto closed her eyes. "I was starting to," she admitted.

"Then it's okay."

Makoto opened her eyes to a smiling Minako. _Rei's lucky,_ she thought, _to have her and her smile all the time._

"You're allowed to have this, Mako-chan," went on Minako, "if it's what you really want. You don't need anyone's permission. If you want it, though, then I'll give it to you for all of us."

"Thank you."

"No problem." Minako stood and put a hand out for Makoto. "Now come back out there with me. There isn't much party left, and I want you there for the rest of it."

"Give me a few more minutes, Minako," replied Makoto. "I wasn't lying about the sweet sauce."

"All right. But if you take too long, I'm coming back with reinforcements."

Makoto smiled up at the blonde. "I promise not to be long. And keep Usagi away from my ice cream."

"Not a problem," said Minako, her grin getting bigger. "Ami's been threatening anyone who so much as looks at the carton of peanut butter."

Makoto couldn't help but laugh at the image that conjured up. "That's Ami for you. My knight in shining armor."

* * *

She knew she didn't have a chance when it was suggested, but she'd played along anyway. It was just bad luck that the person she had to race against was Haruka. Even with the handicap she'd been granted, Ami had still been lapped twice. She didn't mind, though. She had Usagi, who was standing at the sink drying the dishes as Ami washed, to sympathize with her. And the whole idea of a Gran Turismo death match to determine who would be doing the clean-up had amused Makoto.

"I wish you guys would let me help," complained Makoto. She sat at the breakfast counter, watching as her friends washed the dinner dishes. "They're my dishes, after all."

"You don't have to," said Ami as she rinsed off a soapy glass and handed it to Usagi to dry. "Besides, that's the last one."

"I've got one more for you," said Haruka as she came into the kitchen. In her arms was a drowsy and chocolate covered Hotaru.

Haruka walked over to the sink and set Hotaru on the counter beside it. "She always winds up wearing half her ice cream," she said as she ran warm water over a paper towel.

Hotaru was barely awake, but it was enough for her to turn her face away and fidget when Haruka brought the towel close to her. "Uhn uhn… don't wanna," said the little girl unhappily.

Haruka's hand followed Hotaru's mouth. "Come on, Hotaru. Just let me get you cleaned up."

"No. Want Michiru-mama to give me a bath."

"I'm not giving you a bath," sighed Haruka. "I just want to get the chocolate off of you so you don't get any on the car."

Hotaru made more unhappy noises as she turned her head to the other side, away from the wet towel. "It hurts," she whined as Haruka made another attempt to get the ice cream off her chin.

"All right," gave in Haruka, "I won't wash your face. Let me see your hands."

"Uhnnn," was the sound Hotaru made as she put her hands behind her back.

Usagi was having a hard time keeping herself from laughing as the great Tenoh Haruka was being totally frustrated by a tired and petulant eight-year-old.

"Come on, Hotaru," said Haruka as she tried to get to Hotaru's hands, "stop acting like a baby."

That did it. Hotaru's lip trembled and tears filled her half closed eyes. "I'm not a baby," she said, her voice hitching.

Haruka bowed her head in total defeat as the tears began to fall. "Hey, now, don't cry. I didn't mean it," she said calmly as she tried to pick Hotaru back up.

The little girl wasn't having any of it. Her voice rose in pitch as she pushed Haruka's hands away from her.

Haruka stood where she was and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting. It was roughly ten seconds before Hotaru, upset that Haruka hadn't tried harder to get a hold of her, cried for her papa and put her arms out to be picked up.

The crying had gotten the attention of everyone in the living room. Chibi-usa raised her head from the spot she was curled up in on the couch beside Setsuna. Her eyes blinked sleepily and her mouth hung open, not awake enough to ask a question.

Setsuna placed a hand gently on Chibi-usa's head. "Go back to sleep, Small Lady. There's nothing to be concerned about."

The girl didn't need anymore than that. She was asleep again before her head hit the cushion.

Rei and Minako looked up from the game they were playing.

"That's her tired cry," explained Michiru for them. "I think she passed her limit about half an hour ago."

Michiru stood and started towards the kitchen, limping because of her injured leg. She made it three steps before Setsuna was at her side, offering support. Michiru smiled her thanks to her friend.

They entered the kitchen with Rei and Minako curious and close behind them.

"She didn't want to take a bath," said Haruka as she swayed gently with Hotaru.

The child's cries were down to soft hiccups and her eyes were nearly closed.

"Trying to bathe her in the sink again, Haruka," teased Michiru lightly. "I'd thought you had learned your lesson the last time."

"What happened?" asked Makoto.

"It was the first time we had her," said Haruka softly, so she wouldn't disturb Hotaru. "I had no idea soapy babies were so slippery. After that Michiru would always bathe her. Even this time around, she wouldn't let anyone else do it." Haruka grinned. "She's very possessive and jealous, you know."

Michiru made a noise that meant 'you're one to talk' and limped over to the counter by the sink. Leaning against it, she picked up the towel Haruka had tried to use earlier and brought it to Hotaru's chin. The sleeping child didn't notice as her face and hands were wiped clean.

As Michiru set Hotaru's hand back against Haruka's shoulder, she said, "She got your shirt."

"I have something you can put on that," spoke up Makoto. "So the stain doesn't set."

Haruka nodded and handed Hotaru off to Setsuna. She followed Makoto back to the bedroom.

Makoto found a white, button-down shirt similar to the one Haruka was wearing. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks and she quickly turned away as the racer casually took her shirt off to replace it with the one handed to her.

Haruka grinned at the younger girl's reaction. "Thanks for the shirt."

"No problem," answered Makoto. She coughed lightly. "You can put Hotaru in here if you guys want to stay a while longer," she ventured.

"Thanks," answered Haruka, "but it's late. We should really be going."

Makoto peeked over her shoulder. Seeing Haruka button the last of the buttons on the shirt, Makoto turned back to face her. "Everyone else is staying. Ami was already going to. Rei wants to stay with Minako because of what happened tonight, and the only way she can is if they both stay here. And there's no way Usagi can wake Chibi-usa up enough to get her home, so they're stuck here. We could put the kids in here together so they won't be disturbed."

"A slumber party, huh," said Haruka, amused at the idea. "Why not? But I get to tell Setsuna."

An odd image of Setsuna in frilly purple pajamas, cotton between her painted toes and Michiru doing odd things to her hair popped into Makoto's mind. She laughed lightly, wondering what Slumber Party Setsuna was really like. 

As it turned out, Slumber Party Setsuna was a lot like Rest of the Time Setsuna. She claimed the couch as her bed while the rest of the girls found spots on the floor.

Haruka and Usagi put Hotaru and Chibi-usa in Makoto's bedroom. Usagi had to struggle with the pink haired little girl, all the while muttering about dead weight and too many sweets. Her actions belied her words, however, as she brushed aside Chibi-usa's bangs and kissed the girl's forehead.

As Makoto reached up in the hall closet, Haruka reached over her. The blonde pulled down the extra pillows Makoto was aiming for and handed them to her. She then reached up to get the blankets.

"I didn't want her at first," said Haruka quietly as she pulled the blankets off the top shelf.

Makoto looked at the other girl, surprised by the admission.

"Setsuna just showed up with her one day," went on Haruka, "and I felt like all my choices were being taken from me. I didn't want to be responsible for another person that way. I certainly didn't want a child." She smirked. "And I didn't want to share Michiru. It amazes me how much has changed in such a short period of time. Now she's my second favorite thing to wake up to."

"Hotaru's lucky to have you guys," said Makoto.

"Some people wouldn't agree with you," replied Haruka. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, if you need anything or want to talk, I understand some of what you're going through."

"Thanks," smiled Makoto.

After the two youngest Senshi were tucked in, pillows and blankets were arranged on the floor, and everyone settled in for the night. The TV was left on with the volume muted.

Makoto chose to lie on the floor between Usagi and Ami. For a time she lay on her back, watching the shadows play along the ceiling and listening to the even breathing and occasional snores of the people around her. The sounds were comforting, lulling her into sleep. Then slight movement on her left caught her attention, and she turned her head to see Ami watching her through slitted eyes.

"Having trouble sleeping?" asked Makoto as she turned on her side to face Ami, her left arm under her head.

"Not really," answered Ami around a yawn.

"All right, then," replied Makoto. "I won't keep you up. Sweet dreams, Ami." Without even thinking about it, Makoto reached over and tucked a stray piece of hair behind Ami's ear. "I'll see you in the morning," she said as she turned onto her other side, away from the now wide eyes of the blue haired girl.

Ami was never so grateful to be in a darkened room as she was at that moment. She could feel the heat in her cheeks just as well as she could feel the lingering sensation of Makoto's fingers against the side of her face. It took several deep breaths for Ami to get her heartbeat back to normal. For a second there it had felt like it was going to pound right out of her chest. Consequently, she was now wide awake and watching Makoto's back as it rose and fell with the other girl's breathing.

_ Count something,_ she thought, _that always works._ And because it was right in front of her, she began to count the number of Makoto's breaths.

As Makoto's breathing became deeper and more even, Ami could feel herself becoming drowsy. After a while, she gave up the counting and just watched her friend, the contentment in the act leading her into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Living With Fate pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Note: For my absolutely insa… urm… wonderful cousin, Tina, who has sat through endless car rides reading fanfic for shows she knows nothing about just because I asked her to. Love ya. blows big kiss 

**********************

6. Living With Fate, part 2

The sun was just beginning to rise as Rei sat on Makoto's balcony, her feet against the railing. She huddled down into Minako's jacket, trying to keep out the chill of the early morning. 

Rei's hands were pushed deep into the jacket's pockets. Her right hand played with a small black box, turning it over and around. She pulled it out and stared at it for several seconds before opening it.

Inside the box was a pale gold ring. A vine with tiny leaves was carved along the outside. On the inside of the band was the kanji for 'home.'

Rei sighed. When Makoto apologized for messing up her plans, the girl had no idea just how much had been messed up. The man Rei had spoken to at the hotel said he would hold the things she had left there until she could come by to get them. It was unfortunate, he went on to say, that she and her companion wouldn't be staying with them. Rei thought it was more unfortunate that the hotel would be keeping her money, along with Minako's twelfth rose.

The sliding door opening behind her startled Rei. She almost tipped herself backwards in her haste to close the jewelry box and get it hidden.

"Rei," said Ami as she came out onto the balcony. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Rei clutched her chest. As she regained her composure, she said, "That's okay. I thought maybe you were Minako."

"What's that?" asked Ami when she saw the little black box Rei was holding against her chest.

"Oh, this?" Rei laughed nervously. "It's a present for Minako. I was going to give it to her last night, but with everything that happened… The timing just isn't right."

Ami nodded as if she understood. She moved to the railing and rested her hands on it, watching as the sky lightened. "I think Makoto will be all right now that everyone knows. She was very concerned over how everyone was going to react. Especially Usagi."

"I've been there," replied Rei. "Minako and I were both afraid of how the rest of you would take it when you found out we were together. With Usagi… she's the one we all try to make everything perfect for. I didn't want to be the one to take that away from her." Rei smirked. "Now I can't help wondering why I was so worried about it."

Ami couldn't help but grin at the memory of Rei and Minako with nothing between them and their dignity but a bedsheet. "I don't think I've ever seen Usagi laugh quite so hard."

Rei groaned in embarrassment. "Me either. Figures the one time in her life she's early for something is the exact time my alarm clock decides to die. The next time Grandpa goes away, I'm locking all the doors."

"You always told us to just come in," said Ami. "We had no idea we'd find you like that."

"At least you guys took it well. Even Luna and Artemis, once they got done yelling at us about duty, honor, and discretion." After several moments of silence, Rei asked with a nod towards the living room, "How are you doing with all of this?"

"How I am doesn't matter," answered Ami.

"That's not true," said Rei.

Ami remained quiet.

"Ami," said Rei. When Ami turned to her, she continued, "You have my permission to be selfish for a moment."

Ami smiled at Rei's words. This was what Rei had been saying to her since she'd found out how Ami felt and had reassured her it was okay. "Thank you, but it isn't necessary right now."

"Like hell it isn't," replied Rei. "The person you're in love with did something incredibly intimate and stupid with someone who isn't you. This has got to be bugging you at least a little."

"It isn't…" Ami stopped. She hesitated for a moment, allowing some of what she'd been holding back to come through. "I see him at school everyday," she said quietly. "He sits two rows over from me, one seat back. I dislike him. I dislike knowing he was with her the way he was. I dislike knowing that she will always chase after boys who care nothing for her until she finds one who does while I will always remain her friend."

Ami turned and faced the glass doors, looking into the living room. "I am her friend, though," she said with a sad smile. "I've always known I would have to deal with something like this sooner or later. Besides, she needs a friend right now more than she needs someone with a silly schoolgirl crush." 

* * *

Usagi lay on her side with her head propped up on her hand. Sometime while she was sleeping, someone had turned off the television. There was light beginning to come in through the windows, though. So in the early morning light, Usagi studied Makoto's sleeping form.

Usagi didn't think Makoto looked any different. Actually, she looked kind of funny with her mouth hanging open the way it was. Although -- and here Usagi tipped her head to get a better look -- with Makoto's shirt pulled the way it was… Usagi quickly shifted her eyes. That wasn't someplace she was supposed to be looking, even if the target area had gotten a bit bigger.

Next, Usagi's eyes landed on Makoto's belly. It was still flat, regardless of the tiny little baby that was hiding in there. Usagi reached out with a finger and tentatively poked her friend's stomach.

After the fifth or sixth poke, Makoto opened one of her eyes. "Usagi," she asked, "what are you doing?"

"Can you feel it?" asked Usagi, completely entranced by the finger that kept landing just below Makoto's bellybutton.

"You poking me?" asked Makoto teasingly. She scooted into a sitting position away from Usagi's questing finger.

"No, silly. The baby."

"I know what you meant, Usagi." She thought for a moment about how to answer her princess' question. "Not the way you mean," she said slowly, "but certain things feel different, so I know something's there making it all happen."

Usagi's eyes inadvertently went to Makoto's chest.

When Makoto noticed where Usagi was staring, she chuckled. "Yeah, those are one of the things."

Usagi blushed and quickly darted her eyes away. "Sorry."

"It's okay," said Makoto. "Everyone's going to be staring soon enough."

"When are you due?"

The question came from Michiru. Makoto realized then that everyone was awake or in the process of waking. Michiru was leaning comfortably against Haruka, who was still looking a bit dazed. Hotaru and Chibi-usa were both in the living room. Hotaru was spooned against Setsuna on the couch and was likely the reason the woman was awake. Chibi-usa was sprawled out at Makoto's feet, the way she was watching Makoto very similar to Usagi.

Just as Makoto noticed Rei and Ami were missing, the door to the balcony slid open. The two girls came in and returned to the spots where they had slept.

"What did we miss?" asked Rei as she settled back beside Minako.

"We're trying to find out when she's due so we know how to place our bets," answered Haruka.

Michiru turned a stern look on the blonde. "That isn't why I asked."

Haruka only grinned.

Setsuna gave Hotaru a small nudge. "Go get the bag from last night and give it to your Haruka-papa," she said to the child.

Hotaru hurried over to the bag and brought it back to Haruka. She knelt in front of her parents as Haruka took the calendar and notepad from the bag.

"Isn't it pretty?" said Hotaru, referring to the calendar. "Me and Chibi-usa picked it out all by ourselves."

"It's very nice," said Michiru. She pointed to a thumbnail picture of a water sprite with silvery blonde hair and translucent wings. "I especially like this one."

"Way to think ahead, Setsuna," commented Haruka as she opened the calendar. "All right, Mako-chan. When's D-day?"

Makoto smiled. "May 14th."

Haruka made a note on the calendar and turned it for everyone to see. "Okay, this is how it works. Five hundred yen a bet with four things to bet on: weight, length, delivery date, and gender. First come, first serve."

Chibi-usa turned immediately to Usagi. "Usagi, give me money," demanded the girl.

Before Usagi could refuse, Setsuna spoke up, "I'm afraid you and I are disqualified from playing, Small Lady. It wouldn't be fair."

As Chibi-usa sat back, her arms crossed and pouting, the others scrambled to their purses and jacket pockets. Hotaru made the rounds between her parents, getting money from each of them.

"Come on, Ami," said Makoto when Ami didn't make a move for her bag. "You have to play, too. I'll lend you some money if you didn't bring enough."

Ami grinned at Makoto. That wasn't why she was hesitating. But since it looked like Makoto was enjoying this and was going to play along herself, Ami figured she might as well, too. "I was just thinking for a moment, Mako-chan," said Ami. "A thought out choice has a better chance of winning."

Makoto laughed and opened a drawer on the endtable by the couch.

Usagi emerged from digging around in her purse. "I only have a thousand," she said plaintively.

"Bet what you have on you now," said Haruka. "You can put more down later."

"Well, I've got two thousand," said Makoto. She closed the drawer she had gotten the money from. "And since I'm the one who has to give birth, I get to go first."

Haruka laughed at that. "Sounds fair. Okay, Mako-chan, write your destiny."

Minako nearly choked to death at those words. Rei patted the blonde on the back as the others turned concerned eyes on her. All except for Setsuna. Minako swore the other woman was suppressing a smile at her reaction to what Haruka had said.

Makoto handed the money to Haruka. "No sense in inviting trouble, so I'm taking my due date. A girl, on the 14th, 8 ½ pounds, 20 inches."

"A perfect baby," grinned Michiru.

"She's my kid. What else could she be?"

"A whole lotta stubborn trouble," answered Minako with a smile. "Since Mako-chan says it's a girl, I'm picking that, too. Born on the 13th, 8 pounds. I'll pick a length as soon as I get another 500 yen."

The betting went around the room. Haruka kept track of everyone's guesses in the mini notebook Hotaru had gotten with the calendar.

Finally, they got to Usagi. "I'm not sure," said the blonde. "Ami, you go before me."

"Are you certain, Usagi?" When the blonde nodded, Ami continued, "Then I say a boy, just because no one else has. He'll be born on the 17th, 7 ½ pounds and 19 ¼ inches."

"Okay," said Usagi as Haruka finished writing Ami's information, "I know what I want." The blonde smiled as if she'd uncovered some huge secret no one else knew. "It's gonna be a boy. Let's see, what days are left? Here, the 9th," she said, pointing to an empty square. "I can guess on the rest after I get my allowance next week, right?"

"Mmmm hmmm," nodded Haruka as she tucked Usagi's 1000 yen bill into an envelope with the rest of the money. "I'll look forward to taking your money, Usagi." 

* * *

Ami brought a hand up to cover her eyes and groaned. Sunlight was seeping in through the crack in the drapes and landing directly on her face. The warmth and brightness over her closed eyes had woken her up several hours before she was ready.

Parting the fingers she had shielding her eyes, Ami stared at her travel alarm. No human being should be up at 7:28 on a Sunday morning, especially not after the night she'd had.

Minako's birthday had been last Tuesday. Not that anyone could have missed it, for the blonde had circled October 22nd on every calendar in sight. As a present, last night the girls had taken Minako to see the boy band that had replaced the Three Lights as Japan's hottest thing. They'd all had a good time, and Ami and Makoto had stumbled into Makoto's apartment around three am.

Makoto had offered Ami a weary goodnight before disappearing into her room. She had a breakfast meeting this morning with an old friend of her father's. A friend, she'd gone on to tell Ami, who handled her trust fund and all the investments Makoto had inherited from her parents. Two times a year they would get together, discuss financial business, and catch up on Makoto's life.

Ami stretched her body out, the tips of her toes pressing into the arm of the couch. For the better part of the last month, Ami had been sleeping on this couch, this time with her mother's permission. Kaya's only conditions had been that there be no more 'incidents' and that Ami's schoolwork not suffer. So a sort of routine had set in. On the nights Kaya was home, Ami would sleep there to be with her mother. The rest of the time, she was at Makoto's.

And she'd gotten to keep the shirt.

Ami yawned and rolled off the couch. She wasn't wholly awake just yet, and she staggered a bit as she walked towards the hallway. She bypassed the bathroom, however, when she heard Makoto's voice.

The door to Makoto's room was open. Ami leaned against the doorframe, unaware of the sleepy grin she wore, and rubbed at her eyes. Makoto's room looked like her closet had exploded. Clothes were strewn everywhere as the girl tried to find something she could wear.

Makoto muttered to herself as she pulled her shirt off over her head and grabbed a blouse from her bed. She buttoned it up, stood in front of the mirror, threw her arms up, and cursed. The buttons on the blouse strained just a bit too much for modesty across her chest.

"They were too big to begin with," complained Makoto to her reflection.

_Uhnn__ uhnn,_ thought Ami. _They're perfect._

Makoto tensed. Her reflection stared unblinking at the girl she had just noticed standing in her doorway.

The sleepy fog in Ami's brain cleared instantly and her eyes went wide. _No. I didn't. There's no way…_

"Um, your door was open," Ami sputtered out. "I… I was heading to the bathroom and I heard you talking to yourself."

"Ami…"

"The bathroom," said Ami, rolling right over whatever Makoto might say. "I'm going to use the bathroom. And take a shower." She began to back away into the hall. "You're done in there, right?"

Makoto nodded.

"Okay, well, I'll see you later tonight. I'm having dinner with my mom, so, um, later. Bye." Ami moved across the hall as quickly as she could.

Escaping into the bathroom, Ami sagged against the closed door and released a huge breath. Maybe she should spend a few days at home, she began to think. Because that was too close, and she had no idea what she was going to say if Makoto questioned her about it. 

* * *

Makoto walked along, not really paying as much attention to the foot traffic as she should. The meeting had gone well enough. Yoshiro-san had been surprised, to say the least, when she told him about the pregnancy. Yet, rather than dwell on it, he had wished her good luck in her decisions, then went on to say her finances were in good shape and he anticipated no problems in the foreseeable future. Though with this latest development she would likely want to adjust the monthly allowance she was living off of.

Money was the furthest thing from Makoto's mind, though. She was having a hard time letting go of what Ami had said this morning. What it really came down to was the same problem Makoto always had with these things – reading too much into what was being said. Intellectually, she knew what Ami was trying to say to her; basically 'don't be embarrassed. You worry too much. You look fine.' That was it. But in that moment, Makoto had heard something else. And Ami had looked so cute standing there in her shirt looking all sleepy.

A car horn startled Makoto. She stopped and saw Haruka's car driving slowly beside her.

"You're a million miles away, Mako-chan," called Haruka. "Want a ride?"

Makoto nodded and got in the car. She thanked Haruka.

"It's my pleasure," answered Haruka. "Besides, there's something I wanted to ask you about. It's a bit personal, though, so if I'm overstepping my bounds, just tell me."

Makoto looked at the blonde, curious at what she wanted to know. "Okay. Go ahead and ask."

"We – Michiru and I – were wondering how you are financially." The blonde kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead of her. "It's not something the others can really help you with, and we didn't think you'd ever ask even if you did need that sort of help."

Makoto laughed quietly. "It's funny that you should bring that up now. I'm fine for money. My parents left me with a small trust fund and a handful of investments. Together, they keep me comfortably."

"Babies can be expensive," said Haruka. "You're sure you have enough?"

"Yes," answered Makoto. "I just left a meeting with the man who handles most of it for me. He and my father were friends, and they worked for the same investment firm. All the money goes through him and the firm, and they waive the handling fees as a sort of survivor's benefit. Thank you for asking, though."

"You're welcome," said Haruka with a small wave of her hand as if to brush it off as some little thing.

The car came to a rest at a red light. Makoto took a breath, a decision made. "Haruka, may I ask you something? It's considerably more personal than what you asked me, though."

"Go ahead," answered Haruka. "I can always refuse to answer."

"Right." Makoto swallowed hard. "When you met Michiru, how did you know she was like you?"

Haruka grinned and moved the car forward as the light changed. "Like me as in she was a Senshi?" asked the blonde. "Or like me as in she was a lesbian?"

"The second one," answered Makoto.

"I wasn't sure at first," replied Haruka. "I thought maybe she was approaching me the way she was because she knew I was Uranus. But then she gave me some pretty clear hints about what she wanted. Some of the things she said… I could have been blind and deaf and still not have missed it."

"Did you ever think maybe you were misinterpreting what she was saying to you? That maybe you were only seeing it because it was what you wanted and not really what she meant?"

"With Michiru, no," answered Haruka. "She was never a subtle flirt." Haruka pulled the car into the parking lot of Makoto's building. She looked over to the girl, who was wringing her hands in her lap. Haruka's eyes narrowed marginally as she asked, "Why are you asking? Is there someone you think you've misinterpreted?"

Makoto's hands went still. "No," she answered. "No, I know what she was really saying." She turned a smile on Haruka. "Thanks for the ride, Haruka."

Makoto got out of the car quickly as Haruka answered her with, "No problem."

Haruka watched as Makoto disappeared onto the stairs that would take her to her apartment. She pulled away from the building wondering not for the first time just which side of the fence Makoto stood on. 

* * *

Haruka pulled the car into the garage. Before she'd even shut the engine down, Hotaru had the door from the house open. She ran over and pulled the car door open.

"Did you get it?" asked the child excitedly.

"Yes, I got it," answered Haruka. "Come into the house and I'll give it to you."

Haruka followed her daughter into the house. Michiru was on the couch with a paperback. Haruka leaned down for a kiss, then handed her one of the two small bags she carried.

Hotaru came charging into the living room with a shoebox and photo album. She took the second bag from Haruka, pulled out the envelope of photos, and sat on the floor with her treasures.

When the photos were spread out, Haruka joined Hotaru on the floor. She looked over the pictures without questioning her daughter's organization of them. Several of the photos caught her immediate attention.

"Hotaru, when did you take these?" asked Haruka.

Hotaru looked over to the pictures Haruka had in front of her. "At Usagi's when I spent the night before we went away. Everybody found out she was babysitting me and came over. I told you about it after I got home."

"I remember, now," replied Haruka, remembering belatedly that this was Hotaru's first role of film. It had been exhausted before they'd left for Michiru's tour and forgotten about until they'd come across it last week.

Haruka looked back down to the photos in front of her. The half dozen or so were of Ami and Makoto. There wasn't anything about them that would have stood out other than the two girls seemed to be together more than they were apart when Hotaru had gone shutterbug happy. All except for the one photo that had originally caught Haruka's eye. In this one, Makoto had her arm around Ami's shoulders and was giving a V sign while smiling at the camera. Ami was smiling shyly as she was held close to the other girl, a blush forming across her cheeks.

Haruka recalled a time when she'd seen a similar blush on Makoto as the girl wrapped a scarf around Haruka's injured hand. _I always knew it was a crush,_ she thought to herself with a smile. 

* * *

Makoto stretched out on her side on the couch. The TV was on and her history textbook was open in front of her. Her attention was divided between the two, though more of it seemed to be going to channel surfing than studying.

The clock in the kitchen struck eleven, and Makoto looked over to the front door. Ami was later than usual. She'd said she was coming back tonight. If she had changed her mind, she would have called, no matter how awkward she might feel about this morning.

Makoto grimaced and curled up a bit as another wave of nausea rolled over her. "So you didn't want the cheesesteak for dinner. I get the point already." She reached for the crackers that sat among the other home remedies she was experimenting with. At the moment, the peppermints were too sweet and the gingerale would make her burp. Makoto had a feeling that if that happened air wouldn't be the only thing coming up.

For most of the afternoon, Makoto had been trying to figure out a way to approach Ami with what she'd said. She couldn't decide if it was better to pretend it didn't happen or if she should bring it up and assure Ami she understood the context in which the words were spoken.

As it was, the last thing Makoto wanted was to make Ami uncomfortable. Especially now that Ami had relaxed into their routine. It had taken weeks to get her to come into the apartment without knocking, even though Makoto had given her a key. It had taken almost as long to get the girl comfortable enough to move around inside the apartment without acting like she was an imposing guest. She didn't want Ami walking on eggshells again. She also didn't want Ami to leave.

It surprised Makoto when she realized how comfortable she was having another person sharing her space. Of course, it helped that Ami was the most unobtrusive and least demanding person she knew. It was all those years the girl had spent trying to blend into the background Makoto figured.

A short while later, the door to the apartment opened slowly. Makoto watched as Ami removed her shoes and walked quietly to the couch. Ami sat on the edge of the coffee table after moving aside the glass of soda.

"Hi," she said to Makoto. "I wasn't sure you'd be awake. Not feeling well?"

"Not really," answered Makoto. "She's upset with me for something, I think."

"Most likely he's upset with you for constantly calling him 'she,'" teased Ami. She opened the brown lunch bag she was holding. "Mom gave me something that might help make you feel better."

Makoto took the lollipop Ami held out to her and chuckled at what she read on the crinkly wrapper. "Preggie Pops?"

Ami grinned and nodded. "They help with the nausea. Mom says they give them to the chemotherapy patients at the hospital. They're not quite as sugary as these," said Ami, indicating the bag of red and white candies. "There's a few different kinds in there. More peppermint than the others, though, since you said that was working the best."

"Remind me to commiserate with your mom more often," said Makoto as she unpeeled the wrapper. She sucked on the lollipop for a few seconds, then pulled it out of her mouth with a _pop_. "Hey, maybe we could get her to adopt me. You could be my big sister," grinned Makoto.

Ami made an amused sound. "Well, if I'm to be your big sister, then you must show me the proper respect and do as I say. Go to bed, Mako-chan. You need your rest."

"According to Watashi-sensei I get too much rest." Makoto's voice deepened as she imitated her history teacher, "'This isn't a kindergarten, Kino. And my class is not your nap time.'"

"You fell asleep in his class again?"

"Everybody falls asleep in his class. I just happen to be the only one that gets caught," said Makoto in her own defense. "The textbooks are more interesting than his lectures, but only because they have pictures."

"I'm surprised he let it go this time," replied Ami.

"Heh, yeah." Makoto put on a lopsided grin. "I suppose now would be a good time to tell you that I have detention for three days next week."

"Then I suggest you sleep in there and not in any of your classes," said Ami with mock sternness. "Better yet, get a good night's sleep in your own bed."

"You take the bed tonight."

"What?" asked Ami, her surprise clear.

"You take the bed," repeated Makoto. "You'll probably fall asleep before I will. Besides, I'm comfortable here and I don't want to move. I feel like if I do, everything's going to come unsettled more than it already is."

Spending the night in Makoto's bed, wearing Makoto's shirt, with her head on Makoto's pillow. Yeah, that could work. Maybe a little too well. "Okay," answered Ami, hoping it didn't sound as squeaky as it felt. She cleared her throat a bit as she stood. "Do you need anything before I go to bed?"

"No thanks."

"Goodnight, then."

Ami had only taken a few steps when Makoto's voice stopped her. "Ami, wait."

Ami stopped where she was and waited for the request she thought Makoto was going to make.

"I'm glad you came back," said Makoto carefully.

"I said I would," answered Ami, wondering if this was Makoto's way of addressing what happened this morning.

"I know. But I just wanted to say it. I like having you here, and I don't think I've actually told you that."

"I like being here, Mako-chan. But…" Ami hesitated for a second, then continued. "But I'm going to be spending the nights at home this week. Starting tomorrow night."

"I thought your mom wasn't rotating to days until next week," said Makoto. "Did that doctor she's covering for decide to go on vacation a week early?"

"It's just a last minute schedule change. You know how it is." There, that wasn't a complete lie.

"I guess. So it's going to be three weeks instead of two?" asked Makoto, disappointment in her voice.

"That's how it looks, yes," said Ami.

Ami heard Makoto expel a deep breath. "It can't be helped, I suppose. And just when I'd gotten used to sharing the bathroom in the morning, too. Oh, well. Night, Ami."

Ami was beginning to feel guilty about her decision to spend some time away from Makoto. But as she lay in bed with one of Makoto's pillows held to her chest, she remembered why she was doing this. It was necessary, she knew, if for no other reason than to preserve her own sanity. 

* * *

Rei drained her glass in one swallow and set it back on the table. "I'll be late this afternoon, Grandpa," she reminded him. "Minako wants to spend her birthday money, so we're all going shopping."

Rei's grandfather folded the newspaper he was reading. "Have fun," he said to Rei as she gathered her things for school.

Leaning down, Rei kissed his bald head before hurrying out the door.

When he heard the door close, Rei's grandfather reopened his paper. The headline in the current events section declared boldly, "Senator Hino Visits Hometown." The article beneath the headline gave the Senator's schedule while he would be in town, along with an extensive list of his political accomplishments and all around good deeds. According to the article, he had been in town for several days already and would be until Monday afternoon to finish up several speaking engagements and public appearances. 

Grandpa sighed and shook his head sadly. "You could have at least called her you sorry excuse for a man." 

Minako heard only two words: Blowout Sale. Those words made everything else irrelevant. "That's where I want to go," she told her friends as they met after their Saturday morning classes.

"Tokyo Plaza is twice as far as Juuban," pointed out Rei.

Minako blinked.

"We haven't been there in a while," said Makoto. "Maybe they've opened some new stores. And it's not like we don't have the time. Come on, I can catch a nap on the bus ride over." 

Ami wandered out of the latest clothing store the other girls were gleefully terrorizing. Rei's complaints about coming here had quickly died out as soon as they stepped into the mall. Now she was the one pulling Minako from store to store, trying on everything she could fit into.

Ami stopped in front of a window display of knickknacks and keepsakes. She leaned down a bit so she could better see the small object on the bottom shelf.

Sitting on the shelf all by itself was a small sculpture of a butterfly. The butterfly was seated on a pink flower, its wings spread wide as if it were about to take flight. On the leaves and a few of the flower petals were tiny drops of crystal; raindrops from a summer shower.

As Ami contemplated the figure before her, Usagi appeared beside her and imitated her stance. "Whatcha looking at?" asked the blonde.

"The butterfly," answered Ami tapping the glass lightly.

"Oooo… pretty," admired Usagi.

"It is," replied Ami. "Actually, it reminds me of a book I read recently."

"It must have been a happy book," stated Usagi.

"It was a gift from someone. And it did make me happy." Ami turned to her friend with a smile. "Mako-chan's birthday is next month. Do you think she'd like it?"

"Yes, very much," answered Usagi with a nod.

"Will you keep her distracted if she comes out of the store before I do?" requested Ami. "I shouldn't be long."

Ami beat Makoto out of the store by less than 60 seconds. Usagi breathed a sigh of relief. Though she was a bit disappointed that she didn't get to try out the stall tactic she was devising.

"There you guys are," called Minako as she hauled her bags over to them. "Where's Rei?"

"We lost her in the dressing rooms," explained Makoto as she followed behind Minako. "She went to get another shirt and never came back."

"We haven't seen her," answered Ami.

"Maybe she's over there with all those other people," suggested Usagi. She pointed to the courtyard, where a large group had begun to gather. "They must be starting whatever they had that stage set up for."

The girls moved closer to the crowd of people gathered around the small stage in the courtyard. The area was decorated with balloons and streamers, banners and flags. On the stage were several folding chairs now occupied by smartly dressed men and a single woman. There was a podium at the center of the stage positioned near the front. At the moment, a young man in an expensive looking suit was speaking to the audience.

"I see her," said Makoto, her height an advantage in the crowd. "She's over there by those plants."

The girls followed Makoto over to Rei. They got up behind her and stopped dead as the young speaker introduced Senator Hino amid a round of loud applause.

Rei wasn't cheering. Her face was set in a stony mask. The only emotion she showed was in her eyes. Minako saw the fire there and recognized the anger as well as the hurt.

Usagi stepped up beside Rei. "Hey, Rei, isn't that your…"

"Yes, it is," said Rei, cutting off Usagi. "Come on, let's go." Rei turned and started to walk away.

"We'll wait for you if you want to stay awhile," said Makoto.

"We came here to shop," answered Rei, her voice sharp, "not to listen to some stupid politician talk about how great he is. Now are you coming or not?"

"But Rei…" started Usagi.

Minako's hand on her arm stopped Usagi from saying any more. "Yeah, we're coming," said Minako. She caught up to Rei, walking close enough so that their arms just brushed.

The others looked at each other, shrugged, and followed after their friends. 

* * *

"Grandpa, I'm home," called Rei as she entered the main living area of the shrine.

Her grandfather appeared in the doorway, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Looks like you had a busy afternoon," he said when he saw all the bags Rei was setting down.

"Big sale at the Plaza," answered Rei.

Grandpa frowned. Quietly he said, "I see."

"Did anyone call while I was gone?"

"No. I'm sorry," he added when he saw the slight droop in Rei's posture.

Rei straightened quickly. A tight smile on her face when she turned to her grandfather, she replied, "No big deal. So what's for dinner? I'm starving."

Rei followed her grandfather into the kitchen. He pointed her towards the potatoes, and Rei set to peeling them as Grandpa went back to the vegetables.

"Your mother couldn't peel a potato to save her life," he said casually. Grandpa smiled at his memories of his daughter. "Every time she tried, her fingers wound up in bandages and the potatoes came out looking like french fries. I half think she did it on purpose so her mother wouldn't ask her to help anymore. Your mother hated to cook."

Rei smiled, her eyes narrowing just a bit as she tried to grasp an old memory. "I remember her in the kitchen. She was making something, but I can't remember what."

"Oh, she could do it when she had to. But she'd complain the whole way through. Tea was the only thing she enjoyed doing."

"Because it was good for the soul," said Rei, the memory of her mother's voice a whisper in her ears.

"Mmm…" Grandpa looked up from what he was doing and watched Rei's face for a moment. "You remind me of her in so many ways. But I can see the differences as well. Like the first time I held you. You looked up at me with those big, beautiful eyes, and I knew you were special. The road Fate had put you on was going to bring you here, the fire in your soul would see to it. And because of you, the shrine would stay in the family for at least one more generation, because I'd known for a long time that your mother's place was somewhere else.

"Each of us has a road we are meant to follow," continued Grandpa. "Your mother had a bright soul filled with dreams and desires that could never be fulfilled by a simple Shinto shrine. It was why she fell in love with your father." Grandpa's grin was melancholy when he said, "I remember thinking he was just a phase she was going through; a way of getting it out of her system before she settled down to her duties here. But his ambitions touched something in her that I never could. I see the same sort of bright soul and dreams in your Minako."

Rei looked at her grandfather with sudden comprehension and surprise. "You're afraid she'll leave me, aren't you?"

"Your place is here, Rei," said Grandpa, turning his knife back to the vegetables in front of him. "You made that choice on your own, and you know it to be a correct one. Minako, though, her road will take her out into the world she desires. A soul like hers would never be happy caged in here and would soon be fighting to be set free. I don't want to see another of my girls hurt by a broken cage."

Rei was shaking her head. She hadn't been expecting this. "I thought… Never mind what I thought. Grandpa, she isn't going to leave me."

The knife went through a carrot and landed hard against the cutting board. Grandpa looked back at Rei with an uncharacteristic sadness. It was like he was saying through his expression how sorry he was for her because of her naiveté in the matter.

Rei sighed. "She won't, Grandpa. You're right when you say she has dreams she needs to follow. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask her not to chase them any more than it would be fair of her to ask me to turn away from my life here." Rei smiled, hoping it would give some reassurance of her belief in what she was saying. "You're also right when you say her road will take her out there for a while. But she'll always come back."

"For you?" asked Grandpa skeptically.

"Yes, as egotistical as that may sound," answered Rei. "There are other things, though, that have little, if nothing, to do with me. Minako has her own destiny. Believe it or not, Grandpa, it is here."

The old man's shoulders slumped and he released a resigned sigh. "I suppose there's no way I can convince you to find a nice, young miko as a mate? Or even a simple shrine maiden?"

Rei shook her head. "Afraid not."

"You seem very sure of all of this," said Grandpa slowly. "Maybe this once your old grandfather is just worrying too much. That young woman's light might be good for you after all. Kami knows your mother would have liked her."

"Do you think so?" asked Rei.

"I know so." Grandpa took on a contemplative expression. "I've always tried to do things for you in a way that she would approve of. As you've gotten older it's become harder for me to guess at how she would've handled things. Like with all of this. If she had been the one to walk in on the two of you, how would she have reacted?"

Rei's cheeks colored as her grandfather went on to answer his own question.

"Would she have been horribly embarrassed, upset with you because of what you were doing in front of the sacred flame, or," and here Grandpa smiled, "would she have doubled over in laughter **because** you were doing it in front of the sacred flame? Somehow, I think it would have been the latter."

Rei laughed in spite of her embarrassment.

"However," said Grandpa, his tone becoming just a touch more serious, "we're going to set down some ground rules for when the two of you are here. First, no more in the shrine room. For that matter, nowhere anyplace but in your bedroom. Just because I may have certain hobbies doesn't mean I want to see my child engaged in any of those things. Which brings me to my next point." Grandpa took a deep breath, then said quickly, "She can spend the night."

Rei had to pick her jaw up off the floor.

"I'd rather the two of you were here where I know you're safe," went on Grandpa. "This is your home, and I realize you aren't a child anymore. But I'd like to pretend you are, so when she does stay over do everything in your power to make me believe it's just an innocent sleepover. Now nod your head and say 'thank you, Grandpa.'"

"Thank you, Grandpa," said Rei with a nod and a grin. "You're really okay with this?"

"I will be," answered Grandpa. "You seem to trust her a great deal. I suppose I'm going to have to as well. She is a nice girl." Grandpa's expression became thoughtful. "I should meet her parents, see what kind of family she comes from."

"Uh, about that. It really isn't necessary."

"Of course it is. She's a very important part of your life." Grandpa raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're embarrassed by your grandpa?"

"No, no, that isn't it," Rei quickly assured him. "It's just that her parents don't know about us. They aren't the most forward thinking people, and Minako's worried about how they'll take it. She wants to wait to tell them until after she's graduated in case they react badly. There'll be less complications that way."

Grandpa didn't seem to like that answer. "And you're okay with her hiding you from the people in her life?"

"She isn't hiding me from people, only her parents. Trust me on this, Grandpa. I've met Minako's parents, and I understand why she's doing this."

"You've got more than a year before graduation," replied Grandpa with a shake of his head. "That's a long time to try and hide something."

Rei shrugged. "We've been doing it for this long. And… um… it's more like five years."

Grandpa stared at her.

"College is expensive."

Closing his eyes, Grandpa pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's your life, Rei." He looked back up at her. "And it's your decision. But you know, this shrine has never turned away anyone in need. I won't make her the exception, should she find herself in need of a place to stay. In case your decision becomes too difficult to live with."

Rei stepped over to her grandfather and put her arms around him. "Thank you," she said happily as he hugged her back. 

They were clearing the dinner dishes when the phone rang. Rei stood and stared at the thing as it continued to ring.

"Do you want me to answer it?" asked Grandpa when he saw Rei make no move towards the phone.

"No. I'll get it," answered Rei. She set the dishes on the table and went over to the phone. After a deep breath to steel herself, Rei picked up the receiver. "Hello."

A happy and feminine voice greeted her from the other end. Rei's shoulders fell just a bit. She really had hoped it would be him.

"I'm fine. We just finished dinner," Rei answered Minako.

The two girls had talked for several minutes when Rei noticed her grandfather gesturing at her. "Invite her over," he mouthed to her. He made a shooing gesture. "Go on."

"Say, Minako, do you think you can come over for a while?" Rei asked.

Grandpa cleared his throat loudly. When Rei looked at him, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um, actually," said Rei hesitantly, "do you want to spend the night?"

Grandpa nodded in approval and went about removing the dishes from the table.

Rei couldn't help but laugh. In her mind she could see the confused expression on her girlfriend's face. "No, he's here. He says it's okay." 

* * *

The two girls were seated together on the floor, Rei leaning against the couch, Minako lying with her head in Rei's lap. On the television was a movie they'd both seen at least a dozen times. Rei's hand was absently playing with Minako's hair, making the already content blonde drowsy.

Minako turned her head to look up at Rei. She frowned when she realized Rei was staring at the phone again. "This movie's boring," said Minako, lightly stabbing a finger into Rei's belly. "Let's go to bed."

Rei grinned down at the playful smile Minako was giving her. She traced a finger over the blonde's lips and tapped the end of her nose. "I like this movie. Let's wait until the end of it. It's almost over, anyway."

Minako toyed with the hem of Rei's shirt. Her finger ran along the edge of it, then slipped underneath, just barely touching Rei's skin. "I think you'd like bed better."

Rei's smile widened. She leaned down and kissed Minako slowly. When they parted, Rei said, "I bet I would. But I want to wait until the end of the movie."

Minako nodded and turned back to face the TV. Rei's hand went back to playing with her hair, except this time the action was more focused. Her fingers moved gently over Minako's cheek and up to trace along the edge of her ear. Rei leaned forward to kiss Minako's cheek. Quietly she said, "I know he isn't going to call. I haven't spoken to my dad in over a year, and before today I couldn't tell you how long it's been since I saw him. He doesn't mean to do it, I think, but he gets busy and then he forgets about me. There was this one time, it was my ninth birthday. He called me at three in the morning because he'd gotten wrapped up in work, but he didn't want me to think he forgot. 'I'll never forget my little girl's birthday,' he said to me. Until this year, he never did."

Minako rolled onto her back so she was looking up at Rei. She wrapped her fingers around Rei's. "I know that hurt you."

Rei tried to brush it off. "It's not like seventeen is an important number."

"It is when you've been through everything we have," answered Minako. "Besides, you're his daughter. That makes it important, no matter what."

"He doesn't know about any of what we do," replied Rei. "And he just isn't good at being a father. At least, that's what Grandpa says when he isn't calling him a sorry excuse for a man."

Minako agreed with that last part, but she was surprised Rei's grandfather would have said that to her.

"He's never actually said it to me," explained Rei. "He only says that when he thinks I'm not listening. When I'm around he says my dad loves me, but just doesn't know how to be a father without Mom."

"And you still want to wait until the end of the movie?"

Rei nodded.

"Okay," said Minako. "Let me up for a minute." Minako moved off of Rei and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Rei.

"To get something," answered Minako with a secretive smile. "I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later, Minako stuck her head around the doorframe. "Close your eyes," she said to Rei.

"Why?" asked Rei. "What have you got?" She started to rise from her place on the floor.

Minako waved a hand at her. "Stay where you are. Just close your eyes. It's a surprise."

Rei sat back down and closed her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, impatient and curious, as she heard Minako's footsteps enter the room and stop in front of her.

"Okay," said Minako cheerfully, "open your eyes."

Rei opened her eyes and a huge, somewhat lecherous, grin spread across her face. "You changed your clothes."

"Uh huh," answered Minako. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet a few times, her bare arms behind her back.

Rei let her eyes wander over the girl in front of her. Minako had traded in her jeans and sweatshirt for a wine red slip gown that fell to just above mid-thigh. The silky material hugged her body without being tight, the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts being nicely accented. The neckline came down in a shallow V that showed off a hint of cleavage. Shoestring bows were centered on the gown's straps, and Rei wondered if they were just for show or if she would be able to untie them.

Rei stood and walked over to Minako. She draped her arms loosely over the girl's shoulders. "I haven't seen this before. It looks nice on you."

"Thank you," said Minako, one of her hands moving to Rei's hip. That hand worked its way under Rei's shirt, fingers trailing along the skin at Rei's side and back.

Rei's fingers drew a path over Minako's right shoulder. They came to the strap of the gown and played along the edge of it before moving it aside.

As Rei's lips pressed gently to her shoulder, Minako closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. Rei's kisses trailed from her shoulder to her neck. Teeth nipped at the spot just below Minako's ear, followed a second later by soft lips. Minako sighed at the feeling.

"Mina," whispered Rei, her warm breath tickling Minako's ear, "I like my surprise a lot, but we have to move it to the bedroom. I promised Grandpa." Rei smirked. "Besides, the door in here doesn't lock."

Minako's fingers stilled their movement and rested on Rei's back. The blonde giggled. "Lock the door? Now just what is it your ecchi little mind is thinking?"

"I think you know what I'm thinking," answered Rei. For emphasis, her hand moved down and cupped Minako's breast through the fabric of her gown.

The blonde feigned shock at her companion. "Rei, I'm shocked," she teased. "And I thought you wanted to play with your surprise."

"I do," replied the miko. "I'd also liked to play with what's inside it." She tried to kiss Minako then, but the blonde stopped her.

With the fingers that were against Rei's back now pressed to her lips, Minako said, "Then let me show you your surprise."

Rei was now completely confused.

Minako was grinning madly at the look on Rei's face. She took a step back and pulled her other hand out from behind her back. In her hand was a yellow and pink, space blaster-type plastic gun. "Ta da," declared Minako, pulling the trigger. A line of bubbles shot out at Rei.

Rei stood and gaped for several seconds as bubbles floated around her head. One popped against the tip of her nose, causing her to blink several times to clear her sight. With Minako laughing at her, Rei couldn't help but smile. She rolled her eyes at the blonde and took her by the wrist. "Come on, we're going to bed."

"But I thought you wanted to see the end of the movie," said Minako teasingly.

"Seen it," answered Rei. "It's boring."

When they got to Rei's room, Rei closed the door and turned the lock. Leaning back against the door, she took a moment to admire the sight before her. "Have I told you yet how glad I am you called tonight?"

Minako's smile and the light in her eyes was all the answer Rei needed.


	7. Moments

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

7.  Moments

            The door to the waiting room opened, causing Chisa to look up from her computer.  "Afternoon, Kaya," she said cheerfully as the other woman came into the office.  "He's with a patient.  He should only be a few more minutes."

            "Thanks, Chisa," answered Kaya.  She took a seat and picked up one of the magazines from the coffee table.  As she flipped through the pages, Kaya laughed to herself.  Some of these magazines made taking care of a baby seem unbelievably complicated.  As far as Kaya was concerned, after nine months of pregnancy hell and two days of labor, taking the baby home was the easy part.

            Fifteen minutes had passed when Ken walked out behind his patient.  The poor woman looked like she had swallowed a beach ball.

            "She looks like she's about to pop," commented Kaya after the woman had left.

            "She is," answered Ken.  "I give it a week, tops."  He motioned for Kaya to follow him back to his office.  "Do you have time for lunch?  My next appointment isn't until two."

            Kaya shook her head.  "Sorry, can't.  But I was hoping you would do me a favor."  She perched on the edge of the desk as she reached into her bag.  Kaya pulled out a box of lollipops and handed it to Ken.  "I swiped these from oncology.  When Makoto comes in this afternoon, give them to her.  Tell her they're a free sample or something.  The number to order more is on the side of the box."

            Ken chuckled.  "Stealing candy from cancer patients.  There has got to be something unethical about that, Doctor."

            "Oh, please," said Kaya with a wave of her hand.  "They've got cartons of them.  They won't miss one little box.  Besides, this girl is just as needy."  She frowned in remembered sympathy.  "Ami had her over to the house a few weeks ago, and I thought the poor thing was going to have to move into my bathroom."

            Ken made a mental note to ask Makoto about the morning sickness and double check her dietary habits.  Then he asked, "Why not have Ami give them to her?"

            "Because I already sent some over with Ami," explained Kaya.  "She mentioned that Makoto liked them, but if I give her any more it will seem like I'm being too familiar with the girl."

            Ken knew he would love this woman for the rest of his life, but he doubted he would ever understand her.  "You don't want to seem too familiar with her, yet you found her a doctor, had your daughter force her into an appointment, and now you're keeping tabs on her checkups.  I think I've missed something here."

            "Don't get smart," replied Kaya.  "Anyway, it isn't Makoto I'm keeping tabs on, it's Ami.  She has school, a doctor's appointment with Makoto, a study session, then cram school," finished Kaya, having used her fingers to tick off the points of Ami's activities.  She smiled.  "My daughter has a full and busy life that will keep her out until at least ten tonight.  Since I get off at seven, it leaves me with several hours free."

            "You wouldn't by chance have any plans for those few hours, would you?" asked Ken.

            Kaya moved forward and took hold of the lapels of Ken's white jacket.  Letting the edges run through her fingers, she answered, "I do.  I'm going to have dinner with a very handsome doctor.  Someplace nice, but not too fancy, where we can have a peaceful meal without any interruptions."

            Ken doubted such a place existed.  Rather than saying this, he replied, "How about the Italian place out on the strip?  It's still early enough for us to get a reservation."

            "Perfect," said Kaya, standing on tiptoe to reward him with a kiss.

*            *            *

            "Everything looks good," said Ken.  "You say the morning sickness is starting to ease up?"

            Makoto nodded.  "Either that or I'm getting used to it."

            Ken chuckled.  "I don't think I've ever had a patient say they were getting used to it.  And while we're on the subject, I've got something for you to try.  It'll make things more tolerable when it is bothering you."

            Makoto took the small, cardboard box that was handed to her.  She smiled.  "Ami's mom gave me some of these a few weeks back.  Thank you.  They do help."

            "You're welcome," Ken smiled back at the girl.  "Now for the fun part.  Would you like to hear the baby's heartbeat?"

            Makoto hesitated just long enough to make Ken wonder if she was going to say no.  Then she asked, "Can Ami come in for this part?"

            "Of course."  Ken turned to his desk and pushed a button on his phone.  "Chisa," he said into the intercom, "could you ask Mizuno-san to come in here, please?"

            A moment later there was a slight knock on the door before it opened.  "Is everything all right?" asked Ami as she came into the room.

            Makoto grinned at her.  "Wanna hear the heartbeat?"

            Ami's face lit up.  "Can we?"

            Ken nodded.  To Makoto he said, "Lie back and get comfortable.  We'll see how cooperative he's being today."

            "She," corrected Makoto.  "It's a girl."

            "Right," replied Ken.  "How cooperative she's being, then."

            Ami was standing next to her, and Makoto's hand reached out for hers.  Ami smiled down at her friend.  "Excited?" she asked.

            "A little nervous," admitted Makoto.  "You know, if this was a soap opera this would be the big Oh-God-there's-something-wrong moment."

            "This isn't a soap opera, Mako-chan," said Ami reassuringly.  She reached out and brushed her fingers through Makoto's bangs.  "There isn't going to be anything wrong."

            "Ready?" asked Ken.

            "Yeah," answered Makoto even as her grip on Ami's hand tightened.

            Ken held what looked like an oddly shaped microphone attached to a mini amplifier.  It made Makoto think momentarily of Minako and how she would be jealous of this because she wanted to take the baby to her first karaoke session.

            After a bit of prodding and guess work, Ken positioned the microphone on Makoto's stomach.  He moved it a bit to the right, and after several seconds sound emerged from the amplifier.  The baby's heartbeat was steady and rapid and a bit muffled, as if it was coming from under water.  Which, Ami supposed, in a way it was.

            Makoto's expression changed from one of worry to that of quiet awe.  The sound was soothing in its own way.  She could listen to this forever, she thought.

            After several moments, a thought came to Makoto.  "It sounds kind of like a starship engine at warp 10," she said.  "Is it supposed to be that fast?"

            Ken held back a laugh at both the comparison and the look on Ami's face.  He'd heard the example before, but not being a 'Star Trek' fan, he couldn't validate it one way or the other.  "It sounds exactly the way it's supposed to," Ken answered Makoto's question.  He turned off the amplifier.  "You're doing a good job taking care of the two of you.  Be proud of that."

            Makoto smiled.  "I've had a lot of help."  She winked at Ami, which made the smaller girl blush slightly.

            Ken noticed this and thought back on some of the things Kaya had said to him.  _So it wasn't just her imagination, he thought._

            Makoto finished dressing in private.  On her way out, she scheduled her next appointment.  She wanted to hug everyone goodbye she felt so good, but managed to restrain herself long enough to get out of the office.

            If there was to be any quiet reflection on this afternoon's event, it was being put off until later.  As the two girls headed to Rei's, Makoto was nursing a hyperactivity that would have tired out Usagi.  Ami hurried to keep up with her friend and the conversation Makoto was having mostly with herself.

*            *            *

            When Kaya got home that night there was a note waiting for her in place of her daughter.

_Mom,_

_            If it's okay, I'm going to spend the night at Mako-chan's tonight.  She's restless and needs some help staying occupied._

_            We got to hear the baby's heartbeat this afternoon.  It was incredible.  I've heard the sound before, but never up close like that.  Mako-chan thinks it sounds like a warp engine.  I think she's been watching too much television.  I promise to tell you all about it tomorrow night._

_Love, Ami_

            Kaya sighed.  If she'd known Ami wasn't coming home tonight, she wouldn't have either.  Rereading the note in her hand, Kaya thought back to her earlier actions.  A few pieces of candy didn't mean she was getting too involved.  She had to believe that this note didn't mean Ami was either.

*            *            *

            When Ami walked into Usagi's living room, the others were all seated on the floor surrounded by wrapping paper and bows.  It was early Sunday afternoon, and with Makoto's birthday only four days away, the girls were getting everything done and wrapped in one last minute group session.

            Minako leaned forward and picked through a pile of bows.  "So she sees the stuff before I can put it away," she continued her story.  "Mom asks who all the baby stuff is for.  I tell her, and she gives me this blank look as she tries to remember which one of you Makoto is."  Minako giggled.  "Apparently it's a good thing she isn't Ami, because 'she doesn't have the hips for it.'"

            "I'm not sure how I should take that," said Ami.  She sat next to Rei as the other girl struggled with the object she was trying to assemble.

            "It gets better," said Minako.  She pressed the bow on top of the package, leaving both her hands free to better dramatize her story.  "Just as I think she's done with it, Mom suddenly realizes I've never mentioned anything about any of my friend's getting married.  When I told her that was because none of them had, I thought she was going to have a stroke."  Minako put the back of one hand to her forehead, the other against her chest, and said dramatically, "The things you young girls think you can get away with these days.  And just think of this girl's poor parents.  What they must be going through."

           The others giggled as Minako reverted back to her normal self.  With a frown she said, "I swear that woman remembers none of what I tell her and all of what I don't."

            "I think I've got it this time," said Rei triumphantly.  She held up her project for the others to see.

            The mobile turned slowly as Brahms Lullaby played softly.  The canopy of the mobile was yellow with a blue ruffle.  Pastel stars and swirls were dotted across the fabric.  From each of the four corners hung a plush star – two yellow and two blue.  Hanging stationary in the middle was a cow jumping over a crescent moon.

            As Ami watched the mobile turn, something Minako said replayed through her mind.  "How much baby stuff did all of you get?"

            The girls laughed a bit nervously as Chibi-usa scooted back so she was half hidden behind Minako.

            "I know we agreed no baby stuff," began Rei, "but when you disappeared with Makoto and left us to our own devices, well…"

            "We couldn't help it," picked up Usagi.  "We went by this store, and it had a really cute crib all set up.  There were white rabbits carved into the posts of the crib and the bedding was all pink bunnies."

            "So we went in," continued Minako.  "It was just to look, honest.  But then we saw all the clothes and toys and stuff."

            Back to Rei now.  "And we saw the mobile and thought one little thing couldn't hurt.  Then we saw the picture frame that matched it."

            Minako held up the box she'd just finished wrapping.  "The moon's wearing a backwards baseball cap," she said with a grin.

            Usagi reached around and opened the box that was sitting next to her.  "The picture frames were next to all those tiny, cute clothes, though," said Usagi as she laid out the contents of the box for Ami to see.  "We are girls, after all.  It was inevitable."

            Ami had to admit the outfit Usagi was laying out was cute.  The light blue t-shirt had an embroidered teddy bear holding a balloon on it.  The words 'Baby's First Smile' were stitched below it.  The matching shorts had a bear face sewn onto the seat.  The cap and booties were striped white and blue.

            "Then I saw this," chimed in Minako.  "And look, matching socks."  She held up a pair of impossibly small yellow socks and a red onesie with 'Party.  My crib.  Three am.' written in a childish scrawl across the front.

            Ami smiled at that.  The baby might think his three am feedings were a party, but she doubted Makoto would.  Then it hit her.  "Did Chibi-usa help you pick these out?" asked Ami, fairly certain she already knew the answer.

            The girls hesitated.  It was Usagi who finally spoke up to answer Ami's question.  "It's not like she told us anything.  She just helped us pick out which would be better to get:  Pink bunnies or blue teddies."

            "We got regular stuff, too," said Rei.  "We didn't forget why we agreed not to buy a bunch of stuff for the baby for Makoto's birthday."

            Usagi's face lit up.  "That's right," she said happily.  She scrambled to her feet and went over to Ami, pulling her up as well.  "You have to see what I got for her.  I was almost gonna give up, but then I saw this.  I think it's going to be a really good present, especially for Mako-chan."

            Usagi drug Ami into the kitchen.  She let go of the other girl to open the refrigerator and pull out a box with the logo for Usagi's favorite candy store on the lid.  Usagi pulled back the lid and her smile got even wider.

            "Well?" asked the blonde.  "What do you think?"

            Inside the box was a giant, cake-sized peanut butter cup.  'Happy B-day Mako-chan' was written across it in a combination of white chocolate and peanut butter chips.

            "Usagi," said Ami with a grin, "I think that when Mako-chan opens this you are going to be her most favorite person ever."

            Usagi beamed, obviously very pleased and happy with herself.

            Ami's smile lessened just a bit.  "I have a favor to ask you, Usagi.  But I don't want you to misunderstand why I'm asking and become unhappy."

            Usagi regarded her friend closely.  She could sense the unease Ami was feeling at what she was about to ask.  "You can ask me anything, Ami."

            Ami took a breath, then said, "The things you bought for the baby are all very nice.  I'm sure Mako-chan will like them.  But could we hold off on giving them to her?"

            "Why?" asked Usagi.

            "Because of a very noticeable lack of the color pink," answered Ami.

            Usagi nodded her head.  Her eyes got slightly wider as what Ami was saying really clicked into place.  "Oh, I get it.  We hadn't thought of that."

            "It's all right, Usagi," reassured Ami.  "It's just that I think it would be better for her to find out it's a boy when she gets her ultrasound in a few weeks rather than through the birthday presents we give her."

            "You're right," said Usagi.  "The others will think so, too."

            Ami relaxed a bit.  She understood the urge to baby shop for their friend.  She'd indulged in it a bit herself.  The yellow onesie with 'Laptop Model' printed on it that she had hidden on her closet shelf was a partial testament to that.

            Usagi returned the box to the refrigerator.  After closing the door, she leaned back against it.  "How did you know?" she asked Ami.

            "Know what?"

            "That it was going to be a boy?" answered Usagi.  "Everybody else thought it was going to be a girl.  Even Mako-chan."

            _Because it's what I see when I think of her that way.  Rather than giving that reply, Ami answered, "It was just a guess."_

            The slight color that rose in Ami's cheeks gave Usagi the impression there was more to it than what Ami was telling her.  "Do you wanna know how I knew?" questioned Usagi, her grin mischievous.

            "How?" asked Ami.

            "Because you're never wrong."  Usagi laughed as Ami's cheeks grew even redder.  "I told the others they should have let you bet first."

            Ami realized then why Usagi was so happy about this.  Between the two of them, they had just pocketed 4000 yen.  No doubt the blonde was having visions of video games and ice cream at the Crown.

            And just because it felt good to be on the winning end of things this time, Ami allowed herself to laugh, too.

*            *           *

            Ami relaxed back into her favorite reading chair at the public library.  She let out a deep breath as her body settled into the cushions.  This was a quiet corner away from the eyes of others.  Sunlight filtered in through the window behind her, warming the area without giving any hint to just how cold it was outside.

           Ami almost felt bad about being glad to be away from Makoto this afternoon.  Almost, but not quite.  The other girl had been in a foul mood since she'd woken up this morning.  It had all started because she refused to upsize her uniform (she didn't want to deal with the administration yet, even if half her teachers had figured it out already) to accommodate her expanding waistline.  She'd been stabbed by the safety pins she was using to hold the skirt together more than once as she tried to get the clasps closed.  Then at breakfast, just to make Makoto's disposition even more unpleasant, she hadn't been able to scrape more than half a spoonful of peanut butter out of the jar.  Makoto had gone on to curse every god she could think of for not reminding her to buy more the last time she was at the store.  The girls had given their friend a wide berth on the way to school and again on the way home, as her mood seemed to be getting increasingly worse.

            _She needs to sit and brood to herself for awhile, Ami told herself.  She then made the excuse that she needed to go do some research at the library.  Alone._

            Taking her reading book from her bag, Ami opened it to her favorite of the stories inside.  This was how Saturday afternoons were supposed to be, she thought, quiet and peaceful.

            Some time later, the quiet was abruptly shattered by the sound of liquid being slurped through a straw right behind Ami's head.

            Startled, Ami jumped and slammed her book shut.  She turned around to see Usagi standing behind her with a can of soda in her hand.

            "Awww," said the blonde, disappointed, "it was just getting to the good part."

            Usagi had obviously been reading over her shoulder.  Ami, not wanting to discuss the 'good part' Usagi was referring to, diverted with, "I'm surprised to see you in the library, Usagi.  I thought you were going to the arcade with Rei and Minako."

            Usagi flopped down in the chair beside Ami's.  "Yeah, that was what I wanted to do.  But Chibi-usa has a report due on Monday, and Mom made me bring her here so she could work on it."

            "Oh," replied Ami, not really sure what else she could say.

            "So," said Usagi, her demeanor brightening as she leaned forward, "are you going to read the rest of that book?"

            "I… I've read it already," stuttered out Ami.

            "It's a reread, huh," replied Usagi.  "I didn't think you could do that with regular books."  The blonde's smile widened as she asked, "Can I read it, then?"

            Ami held the book protectively to her chest.  "I really don't think you'd like it, Usagi.  Maybe a more traditional romance…"

            "Oh, come on.  Please," wheedled Usagi.  "I've read stuff like that before.  You should see some of the doujins Rei sneaks from her grandfather."

            "She let you read them?" asked a surprised Ami.

            "I read all of Rei's manga," said Usagi as if it was silly for Ami to even ask such a thing.

            Ami's grip on the book loosened as she considered her friend's request.  "All right," she said finally.  "If you really want to."

            Usagi took the book eagerly.  "'Raindrops in the Garden.'  It's not a library book?" she asked after quickly flipping through the pages.

            "No," answered Ami.  "It belongs to me."

            Usagi nodded and opened the book to the table of contents.  "Hey, it's Mako-chan's butterfly!" she exclaimed.  She held the book around so Ami could see the pencil sketch at the corner of the page.  "Is this the book that was a gift?"

            "Yes."

            Usagi giggled.  "Now I know why it made you so happy," she teased.

            Ami's cheeks turned bright red.  "I didn't know what it was about when I picked it up," said Ami in a quiet rush.  "I didn't even know it would get that… graphic… until I got to that one story.  The rest of them are just regular stories about the women of the house, all of them connected through that butterfly.  And Mako-chan never read it at all.  She just took it out of my hands and bought it for me…"

            "Ami," cut in Usagi.

            Ami took a breath and blinked at the blonde.

            Usagi laughed softly.  "You are way too easy to fluster."  Usagi leaned back in her chair and reopened the book.  "Now, which story were we reading?"

            "Are you certain you wouldn't rather start with another story?" tried Ami.  The idea of Usagi reading this book, not to mention this particular story, had her more nervous than she could explain.  "There are some good ones in there.  My favorite is 'The Stone Pathway.'"

            Usagi pulled the book back as Ami tried to reach for it.  "I'll read that one later," said Usagi.  "Tell me which one, please, Ami."

            Ami sighed and sunk back into her chair.  "'After the Storm.'"

            Hiding behind another book, Ami tried not to watch Usagi as she read.  She couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow corrupting this girl.  So Ami watched as Usagi's facial expression and posture changed as she got further into the story.  One minute the blonde would be sitting upright, her eyes wide.  The next, she would be laying across the chair, her feet dangling over the arm as she chewed on her finger.

            Ami peeked over her book once again to peer at Usagi.  She was once again upright.  Her eyes were round as saucers and her head was tilted slightly to the side as if she were trying to make out a particularly jumbled picture.

            "I wonder if Rei and Minako ever do anything like this," Usagi wondered out loud.  She looked over at Ami and promptly burst into hysterical giggles.

            Ami could feel the heat in her cheeks.  She fidgeted, hoping she could disappear into the cushions of the chair.

            Usagi sobered a bit.  "Don't worry, Ami.  I promise I won't tell anyone you read naughty stories.  Or that Mako-chan bought them for you."

            Somehow that assurance did nothing to make Ami feel any better.

*            *            *

            Makoto was sitting in front of the computer, a spoon dangling from her mouth.  She carefully read over the last few paragraphs she'd typed.  Deciding they looked fine, she saved the document and reached for her jar of peanut butter.  It was amazing how such a simple thing could make one feel so much better when the world was so obviously out to get you.

            The front door opened and Ami walked in.

            "Hey.  I was wondering when you'd get home," called Makoto, considerably happier than when Ami had last seen her.  "Did you do what you needed to?"

            "Yes," answered Ami.

            "Great," replied Makoto.  "I went shopping while you were out."  She held up her peanut butter as proof.  "Hope you're hungry.  I'm going to start dinner as soon as I finish this paper.  A few more paragraphs and it should be done."

            "What are you working on?" asked Ami as she moved over to stand beside Makoto and look at the monitor.

            "My history report," answered Makoto.  "There isn't a thing in this paper that man can complain about."

            Watashi-sensei again.  Ami wondered if he was part of the problem earlier.

            "I could proof read it for you," offered Ami.

            "Would you?  I'd appreciate it," replied Makoto.  "But not until later.  I feel like cooking.  Heh, I haven't said that in a while."

            "What are we having?"

            "Stew sound good?"

            Ami nodded.

            "All right.  I'll get to it, then."  Makoto closed her program, having had enough of homework for tonight, and left the computer for Ami to play with.

            Ami had checked her e-mail and was browsing through one of the websites she frequented when Makoto called to her from the kitchen.

            A pot was boiling lazily on the stove, and Makoto was leaning against the breakfast counter.  She was staring down at nothing, as if she were concentrating to hear a faint sound.  Without looking up, she motioned to Ami.  "Come here.  Quick."

            Ami was trying not to panic.  "What's wrong?" she asked as she hurried to Makoto's side.

           Makoto shook her head and grabbed for Ami's wrist.  She held it for several seconds, making a few indecisive sounds.  Then she placed Ami's hand against her stomach, shook her head no, and moved the hand to the same position under her shirt.

            Ami's heart rate doubled at the physical contact.  Soft skin was beneath her palm, which was being held in place by a strong and gentle hand.  Ami could hear her blood rushing in her ears, and she was certain she was blushing clear to the tops of her ears.

            "There," said Makoto excitedly.  "Can you feel it?"

            "Wh… what?" asked Ami.

            "The baby," answered Makoto.  "Can you feel it?  I thought I felt her move earlier, but I wasn't sure."

            Ami snapped out of her daze as she realized what was happening.  Makoto's smile lit up her whole face.  Ami returned some of it shyly.  "He's still too small for anyone but you to feel him," said Ami quietly.  Without meaning to, she began to stroke her thumb against Makoto's skin.  "This is something special for just you right now.  A secret only the two of you get to know."

            Makoto's eyes met and held Ami's.  "I wanted to share," she replied just as quietly as Ami had.

            "You'll get to soon enough.  Then you'll wish we'd all go away and stop touching you," said Ami with a small laugh.

            "No," said Makoto seriously.  "I'd never want you to go away."

            Ami felt like she was drowning.  She was trapped in the green depths of Makoto's eyes.  Everything she saw there stole her breath away and left her mind spinning.  It wasn't until Makoto's hand over hers tightened that she had any sense of what she and her wayward thumb were doing.

            Quickly averting her eyes, Ami carefully extricated her hand from Makoto's.  "Do… do you still want to have dinner?"  It was a stupid question, but it was the only thing that came to her.

            Makoto stood straighter, away from the counter.  "Yeah," she said haltingly.  "Yeah, of course.  I just have to…"  She made a vague gesture at the stove.

            Ami started backing away towards the door.  "I'll shut down the computer and then set the table."

            Ami disappeared through the kitchen door as quickly as she could.  She never heard Makoto curse herself for being stupid and careless.  Though she did here the cupboard door slam shut as the taller girl's foot made contact with it.

            Once outside the kitchen, Ami sagged against the wall.  She took a few calming breaths and prayed to whatever higher powers were listening to help her make it through the rest of the night.


	8. Upside Down and Sideways

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Chatter:  Hey, Shawn!  Thanks for all your help with this chapter.  Thanks to everyone who keeps sending me praise and encouragement, too.  It's all appreciated and saved in a special folder in my inbox.  ^_^

**********************

8.  Upside Down and Sideways

            Mamoru stretched and let one of his legs fall from the edge of the couch as he carefully redistributed the weight of the blonde who was curled peacefully on top of him.  Before he could get completely resettled, Usagi's head lifted.  The smile she gave him was sleepy and gentle.  Mamoru smiled back.  Kami, it was good to be home again.

            Usagi's hand reached up and cupped his cheek.  "You're thinking about it again," she said.

            Yeah, he was thinking about it again.  He was thinking about all of it.  Yet, the more he tried to reason it out, the more chaotic it all seemed to become.  Mamoru blamed this on the jet lag.  He'd been home half a day and his body couldn't decide if it should be waking up or going to sleep.  Then again, this was all just so crazy.

            "Mamo-chan," started Usagi, the beginnings of a puppy dog pout on her features, "are you mad at me for not telling you?"

            "No, Usako, I'm not mad," answered Mamoru.  His hand played with one of her ponytails.  "I'm just feeling a bit thrown off by it all."

            Thrown off was an understatement.  They had all been together having dinner when the conversation started going over his head.  Rei mentioned her grandfather going away next weekend, which made Minako giggle and Ami blush.  Then Usagi brought up the Christmas party at Haruka's on the last day of classes.  That led to the girls saying they needed to go shopping for something to wear, at which point Makoto made a sour face.  She commented that nothing fit right anymore and that she was getting tired of using rubberbands to tie her jeans closed.  Minako said that was exactly why they needed to go shopping at the same time Ami interjected that even though Makoto was complaining about it, she still didn't think the other girl had gained enough weight.

            Ami's comment confused Mamoru.  He knew Makoto had been sick; Usagi had mentioned it in a letter and once or twice in phone calls.  He thought it might be that she had lost some weight early on, but from what he could tell Makoto had gained it all back plus some.  Not that he would ever say that.

            Oblivious to his confusion, the girls went on.  Makoto said the doctor told her that her weight was fine.  Usagi remembered something at that point and became extremely excited, asking Makoto if she had gotten a picture when she went yesterday.  Makoto smiled at this, and so did Ami, though hers was a bit quieter.  Then Makoto reached into her pocket and took out a yellow note card.  Minako, Usagi, and Rei huddled together in the booth to get a look.  And just as Makoto informed them all that it was a boy, all the things that had been flying over Mamoru's head came crashing down on him.

            "None of you seem too surprised," he heard Makoto say over the ringing in his ears.

            Before the girls could get out any sort of excuses or explanations, Chibi-usa pointed to him.  "Mamo-chan is," she'd said.  "You can tell by the look on his face."

            Mamoru was certain his expression was pretty comical at that point, if the way Rei and Minako were trying not to laugh at him was any indication.  Usagi, though, was looking just a bit nervous.

            His mouth finally catching up with his brain, Mamoru blurted out what was now obvious.  "You're pregnant?!"

            The volume had brought stares from some of the other patrons.  Rei finally let out the laugh she'd been holding in, and Ami slid down in her seat just enough to make her embarrassment obvious.

            "Yeah," answered Makoto.  "I thought Usagi would have told you."  Makoto smiled at him as Mamoru shook his head.  "Oh well.  I guess I was just getting used to people finding out some way other then me.  Ya know, even my doctor knew before I ever called him."

            "How'd that happen?" asked Minako.

            Ami slid further down in her seat.

            "Referral from Ami's mom," answered Makoto.  "She talked to him first to make sure he could take me on."

            "How'd Ami's mom find out?"

            "I told her," came Ami's quiet reply.

            "We sort of got caught in a lie," explained Makoto.  "Telling her the truth was easier than trying to think of another lie."

            Minako seemed to put something together at that moment.  Mamoru couldn't keep up with her reasoning as she rambled on about the day they all found out, how Ami's mom must have known before the rest of them, and how this lie would have been caught around the time Ami wasn't coming to the study meetings.  If this had been a comic strip, a light bulb would have appeared over Minako's head.

            In an astonished voice, Minako announced, "You got grounded!"

            If Ami had slid any further down in her seat she would have been on the floor.  Mamoru, feeling completely forgotten himself, felt kind of sorry for the girl.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rei offer her a sympathetic smile.  She then turned that smile to him.  For a moment Mamoru thought someone was taking pity on him and his confusion.  Then Rei's smile turned devilish.

            "Usagi," said Rei in a tone that left Mamoru with a sinking feeling, "is there anything else you haven't told him?"

            "Um, well," stammered Usagi.  Then in a rush, she said, "I didn't think I was supposed to.  It's not like you actually told us or anything, and well…"

            "Don't worry about it, Usagi," reassured Rei.  She looked over at Mamoru, winked, then grabbed the front of Minako's shirt and pulled the girl into a hard kiss.

            Mamoru's world tilted as Minako returned the kiss with vigor.  He had just enough cognizance left to notice that Chibi-usa was staring at them wide-eyed, and that Ami was hiding her face behind her hand and shaking her head.  Makoto laughed, and he felt Usagi beside him once again.  She put a finger under his chin and pushed up.

            "You're catching flies, Mamo-chan," said the blonde.  He couldn't figure out if the smile she was giving him then was apologetic or sympathetic.

            Now here he was, several hours later, and the world still wasn't totally right side up.  At least not for him.

            Usagi's fingers traced a path over his cheekbone and around his eyes.  "I'm sorry I didn't warn you.  I just wasn't sure if I was allowed to tell or not."

           Mamoru relaxed under her touch.  "I just need a little time to get used to it all," he said.  "I was only gone for half a year…"

            "Seven months and 20 days," interrupted Usagi.  "That's more than half a year."

            "Okay, just over half a year," corrected Mamoru.  "But with as busy as I was, even when I was missing you, it didn't seem like that long.  Then I come home for a visit and everything's changed.  I feel like the world's been turned upside down and sideways, and I'm stuck floating in the middle somewhere."

            "Not everything is different," said Usagi softly.  She scooted forward so she could place a kiss lightly on his lips.  "I still love you, Mamo-chan."

            The feeling those words left him with was indescribably wonderful.  "I love you, too, Usako."  Mamoru lifted a hand up to scrub at his tired eyes.  "I still can't believe it.  Makoto's pregnant and there isn't a guy in sight.  Ami's getting grounded.  Rei and Minako are a couple."  He sighed heavily.

            Usagi sat up, straddling his waist in the process.  "Does it bother you?  That they're together?" she asked.

            Mamoru looked at her through one eye.  "No.  Not in the way you're suggesting, anyway."

            "Then what kind of way?"

            Mamoru sighed again.  Usagi was looking pretty perturbed at him at the moment.  His brain wasn't functioning enough for him to think of anything better than the truth, so that's what he gave her.

            "Because, Usako," said Mamoru wearily, "it does absolutely nothing for a guy's ego to find out that after dating him, his ex decides she'd rather be gay."

            Usagi bit her lip to try and stop her giggles.  A few still managed to escape, and Mamoru rolled his eyes at her.

            "Awww," teased the blonde.  "Poor Mamo-chan's ego, feeling all small and bruised.  Do you need me to stroke it for you?"

            Mamoru's eyes bugged out in surprise as Usagi's bottom wriggled against his lap.  "Usako!"

            Usagi laughed at him and slapped his chest playfully.  "Oh, Mamo-chan, you take everything so seriously.  Rei and Minako are happy together.  And Rei…"  She leaned in and placed a kiss against his chin, "Deciding she likes girls…"  A kiss to his left cheek, "Has nothing…"  One on his right cheek, "To do…"  Then the tip of his nose, "With you."  Her lips landed softly against his and remained there, the kiss deepening.

            Had he mentioned how good it was to be home?  As Usagi's kiss lingered and her body stretched out more fully over his, Mamoru thought the sentiment bore repeating.

            Kami, it was good to be home again.

*            *            *

            Makoto sat on the floor tapping her pencil against her lips.  She stared at the textbook in front of her on the coffee table, attempting unsuccessfully to decipher the equations.  The book might as well have been written in another language for all she understood it.

            More than a little frustrated, Makoto's attention wandered back over to the ultrasound image beside her notebook.  She kept glancing at it, trying to make out the blurry image.  Her finger traced along an edge.  Here was his head and his nose.  Further down was an arm, then a hand with four fingers and a thumb.  The curve of his body led to a leg, to his foot, to his toes.  All of it together was the almost overwhelming realization that this was her son.

            "Are you terribly disappointed?" asked Ami.

            Makoto looked up to see Ami watching her.  The girl was sitting sideways in the desk chair, her chin resting against her arms on the back of the chair.  Makoto wondered how long Ami had been like that.

            With a self-depreciating grin, Makoto asked, "How many Bad Mommy points do I get if I say just a little?"

            Ami shook her head.  "None.  I know you wanted a girl."

            "It's not like I don't want him because he's a boy," replied Makoto.  "I just liked the idea of a little girl.  And it would have been easier.  I would have known how to take care of a girl.  But a boy…"  Her sentence trailed into silence for a second, then she said, "I haven't even thought of any boy names.  And I'm going to have to do the nursery differently than I'd planned.  I don't care what decade it is or how being gender specific is supposed to be out, I am not putting my son in anything with lace or ruffles."

           Ami laughed quietly.  Makoto hadn't taken this as badly as Ami had feared she would.  Though she'd been quiet about it since they found out yesterday, Makoto had obviously been thinking about it and more.  Before now she hadn't mentioned anything about names or where the baby was going to sleep.

            Makoto tugged at the waistband of her pajama pants.  There was an uncomfortable indent forming were the elastic met her skin.  She blew air through her lips, making an annoyed noise.  "Bigger," she said quietly.  Then more loudly to Ami, "I need to get a bigger uniform.  This week.  I'm going to have to tell them this week."

            "It won't be so bad," said Ami gently.

            "Only if they try and insist on a transfer," replied Makoto.  She looked away from Ami and around her living room.  "Did you know this was the first apartment I picked out all by myself?"

            "No," answered Ami.  "You never told me that."

            "Yep.  I moved in here the week before I started at the junior high.  Everything changed so much and so quickly back then.  But everything changes, whether we want it to or not.  Isn't that right, Little Bug?" said Makoto, patting a hand against her belly.

            "Little Bug?" asked Ami.  "I haven't heard that before."

            Makoto shrugged.  "He needs a nickname.  I'm tired of calling him 'the baby' all the time."

            Smiling, Ami asked, "What would you have called him if he was a girl?"

            "Don't know," answered Makoto honestly.  "Bug just sort of happened.  Anyway, what I was getting at before is that I'm going to need a bigger apartment.  I've always had my own room and I want Bug to have his, too.  Besides, I want to decorate."

            "Everyone's going to want to help with that, you know," said Ami, remembering the presents hidden away for the baby shower.

            "That's fine," said Makoto.  "Since everyone already seemed to know it was going to be a boy, they've probably got more ideas than me, anyway."

            Ami ducked her eyes away from the amused look Makoto shot her.  "Any idea of when you'd like to start looking for another place?" she asked, hoping Makoto wouldn't question her about just how it was everyone had known.

            "I already did," answered Makoto.  "Someone once told me the best solutions are found closest to home.  So I talked to my landlord.  The people in 304 are moving out next month.  It's two bedrooms and I can move in mid-February."

            "I guess you didn't need me this time," said Ami, feeling oddly disappointed.

            "I thought I'd save your talents for something else."

            Ami raised her eyebrows in question

            Makoto picked up her textbook and turned it for Ami to see.  "I hate the Romans," she said.

            Ami smiled widely.  "You have to blame the Greek for this particular problem."

            Ami moved over to sit on the floor beside Makoto.  This was a familiar position for her, sitting close enough to Makoto to feel her without actually touching.  After years of study sessions, Ami knew just how long she could stay this way before needing to put some distance between them.  She judged her limit tonight to be 20 minutes.

            "I'll be right back," said Makoto before they got started.  "I want to get changed.  These are getting uncomfortable."

            Makoto stood and walked out of the room.  While she was gone, Ami glanced down at the picture lying on the table.  _Little Bug, she grinned to herself.  __I'm glad your mommy isn't unhappy about you._

            Looking over to the open notebook, Ami skimmed over Makoto's homework.  Just a cursory glance let her know Makoto didn't understand this assignment at all.  And this was going to take more than 20 minutes.

            Makoto came back into the living room and stopped, the confusion plain on her face.  "Where'd Ami go?" she questioned the empty room.

            A brief search found Ami and their books at the kitchen table.  "Why did you move?" asked Makoto.

            "I didn't think sitting on the living room floor in front of the television was conducive to studying," answered Ami without looking up from the area she was arranging.

            "Oh.  Okay."  Makoto shrugged and went over to the seat across from Ami that had been set up for her.

            This was no fun, thought Makoto.  Studying was the only time she could get really close to Ami.  It was an indulgence she allowed herself only because Ami was always too involved with the work to notice how close they were and it was easy to explain away if she did.

            Makoto sighed.  She didn't want to do this anymore.  Maybe she could talk Ami into getting a snack instead.  She looked up about to suggest that and saw how totally concentrated Ami was on her Trigonometry task.

            _Then again, maybe not, thought Makoto glumly._

            With that, she settled in for some boring homework.

*            *            *

            "I'm ready, Daddy," said Minako as she came into the room.

            Minako's father looked away from the TV and smiled.  "Well, don't you look pretty."

            Minako made a show of spinning around to show off her new dress so her father could fuss over how nice she looked and how grown-up she was.  "You're going to turn a few heads at Tenoh's party tonight," he said as he reached for his coat and car keys.

            Minako's mother just couldn't let the chance pass.  "Just be careful whose head it is you're turning," said the woman.  "Honestly, Minako, I wish you wouldn't hang around those two girls as much as you do.  It just doesn't look right."

            Minako tried not to roll her eyes at the old argument.  "It's just close friends tonight, Mom.  No strange company or press to worry about."

            "That's just the problem," returned her mother.  "It's one thing for you to be seen shaking hands with them at a concert or art exhibit.  It's something entirely different for you to be socializing with them privately.  People will find out and start talking."

            "Yeah," said Minako, just about at the end of her rope with all of this.  "We wouldn't want the society pages finding out I'm gay.  What would the neighbors think?"

            Minako's mother shot her a withering glare.  "Don't take that kind of tone with me, young lady.  And watch your phrasing.  You don't want anyone **_thinking anything of the sort, regardless of who you call your friends."_**

            "Your mother's right, Minako," added her father.  "You need to watch what you say and who you say it to.  People will have no problem misconstruing your words.  The last thing you want is to start out your adult life with those sorts of rumors following you around."

            Minako sighed and gave up.  "All right, Daddy.  I'm sorry, and I'll be more careful with what I say from now on."

            "That's my girl," said her father as he patted the top of her head.  "Now let's go pick up your friend.  You don't want to be late for the party."

*            *           *

            The car pulled to a stop in front of the house, and all three passengers sat and stared in stunned silence.

            It was Minako's father who broke their trance.  "Well, it certainly is… festive," he said, the look on his face giving away what he really thought of all the lights and decorations.

            Suddenly, Minako yelped and pushed back against Rei, clutching the girl's arm.  "Did you see that?" she asked in a panicked voice.

            "See what?" asked Rei.

            "There's something in the tree.  I swear its eyes were glowing," answered Minako.

            "Maybe it's a bat or some such," said Minako's father, sounding a bit worried.  "Or it could be a stray.  I should probably have a look."

            "Hold on," said Rei, stopping him.  "I think it's coming back out."

            The three watched as three tiny points of light emerged from the tree branches and started moving across the air to the other three.  In the glow from the Christmas lights, a small body could just be made out, the arms partially outstretched and its head oversized with some sort of hump on its back.

            Minako's father started to laugh.  Personally Minako didn't think it was all that funny that there was some strange, hideously deformed creature in Haruka's front yard, and she said as much.

            "It's an elf," her father said.

            The girls stared at him.

            "I saw them on display somewhere last week," he explained further.  "There's a wire strung between the trees and the elf runs on a wheel over it.  It's supposed to be cute, holding a candle with a bag of presents over its back.  I just thought they were ugly little gremlins."

            "Glowing eyes are always a bad thing," muttered Minako as she released Rei's arm from the death grip she held it in.

            "You're sure you don't need me to pick you up," asked Minako's father as the girls got out of the car.

            "Yes," answered Rei.  "My grandpa said he'd come get us.  Thank you for the ride here," said Rei as she offered a polite bow.  "And thank you for allowing Minako to spend the night at my home."

            "You're welcome," answered Minako's father.  "You girls have fun."  With a wave, he pulled away from the curb.

            Rei turned and smiled at Minako.  "See?  Your dad likes me."

            "Yeah," said Minako sarcastically.  "And he'd love you lots more if he knew we were sleeping together."

            When they were halfway to the door, Hotaru came rushing out to greet them.  The flash from her camera would have blinded them if their pupils weren't already dilated from the multitude of decorative lights.

            Haruka followed right behind her daughter.  "Well, what do you think?" she asked, indicating the house and front yard.

            Rei took in the running lights on the house, the reindeer and Santa Claus cutouts spotlighted in the yard, and the snowman family beside a small pine tree which was covered in white lights and icicles.  It wasn't gaudy, per say, if one looked past those creepy elves.  It was all just very bright.

            "I bet your neighbors love it," answered Rei.

            The mischief in Haruka's smile was reflected in her eyes.  "They do.  Especially Natoro-san.  She's been telling us everyday for the last week just how much she loves it."

            "Honestly, Haruka," chided Michiru as she walked up to the little group, "I don't know why you insist on antagonizing that woman.  It only makes things worse."

            "She already hates us," defended Haruka.  "Nothing I do is going to make it any worse."

            "She dislikes everyone," returned Michiru.  "I've heard it said enough times that she thinks anyone under 40 is a nuisance and that children should be leashed, so of course we annoy her.  I'd still rather you ignore her instead of doing all this."  Michiru then pointed to the trees.  "And especially those.  They're just so…"  She hesitated, at a loss for the proper word.

            "Demonic?" supplied Minako.

            Michiru nodded.  "Yes, that's exactly it.  Thank you, Minako."

            "I like my elves," said Haruka as one passed slowly over her head.

            "I like them, too," chimed in Hotaru.

            Michiru smiled at the little girl.  "That's the only reason they're still up.  Because I love you and your papa too much to make you take them down.  But Christmas will be over tomorrow," she said to Haruka.  "And those things are the first decorations you're taking down."

*            *            *

            The decorations inside the house were much subtler than those outside.  The Christmas tree glowed softly, and a slow, familiar tune played on the stereo.  Hotaru had pulled Setsuna into a clumsy waltz.  The little girl laughed gleefully as her mama twirled her around, the skirt of her party dress flaring out around her.  Mamoru, after several minutes of arguing between Usagi and Chibi-usa over whose turn it was to dance with him, had settled into the awkward position of trying to dance with both of them at the same time.  Minako and Rei were pressed together, lost in their own little world and oblivious to the others around them.

            In her own world as well, but not so oblivious, Haruka held Michiru close.  The other girl's head rested against her chest as they swayed gently to the music.  As they danced, Haruka kept glancing over Michiru's head.  Ami was standing and watching the others as they danced.  Makoto was close to her.  For the last three songs, Makoto had settled into a pattern of moving slightly closer to the smaller girl, leaning in just a bit as if to ask a question, and then pulling back before the question was asked.  Haruka was getting frustrated just watching it.

            "Come on," Haruka muttered to herself.  "Do it already."

            Michiru grinned into Haruka's sweater.  Quietly she said, "I would, but there are children present."

            Haruka looked down at her girlfriend, the slightest bit of color in her cheeks.  The smile on Michiru's face reflected quiet laughter the way it always did when she knew she'd one-upped Haruka.

            Wanting to shift Michiru's attention, Haruka turned them so she could see Ami and Makoto.  "Look over there," she said.  "Forget who they are for a minute and tell me what you see."

            Michiru watched the two girls for a moment.  Then with a grin said, "I see one young woman who would like to be asked to dance and another who would like to ask her, but can't seem to work up the nerve.  I'd guess they both think they're not being obvious and are a bit nervous, and… Oh dear."

            "What?"

            "It looks like someone found a dance partner," answered Michiru.  "And someone else is looking none to pleased about that."

            Haruka turned them quickly so she could see what Michiru was talking about.  Mamoru was moving off with Ami, leaving behind an obviously unhappy Makoto.  Haruka swore under her breath.  "That idiot.  Makoto was almost there.  And she looks like she wants to take his head off for it, too."  Haruka chuckled.  "Lucky for him he's Usagi's boyfriend."

            "I've always thought so," said Usagi, whose sudden appearance beside them startled the older girls.  The smaller blonde smiled at them.  "Mind if I cut in?"

            Haruka and Michiru looked at each other.  Michiru raised an eyebrow to which Haruka shrugged.  Moving apart from each other, they turned back to Usagi.  "Only for you, Odango," smiled Haruka.

            Usagi smiled back.  Then she did something that surprised both of them.  Rather than turning to Haruka, she faced Michiru.  "Would you mind leading?" she asked, holding out a hand to the girl.  "I know I asked, but Mamo-chan always leads, and I'm afraid I'll step on your feet if I try."

            "I don't mind at all," answered Michiru as she tried not to laugh at the look on Haruka's face.

            "Great," replied Usagi happily.  Once settled in place with Michiru, Usagi said to Haruka, "You know, Mako-chan is a really good dancer."

            Haruka gave Usagi a suspicious look.  "Just what are you up to, Odango?"

            Usagi put on her please-just-for-me face.  "Just go dance with her.  Please?" she asked sweetly.

            Haruka couldn't argue with her.  Instead, she took on a lightly flirting air and went over to Makoto.  "You're looking a bit lonely over here.  Care to dance?"

            Makoto accepted the invitation with a smile.

            When the younger girl relaxed into the rhythm Haruka set, the blonde asked, "That wasn't so hard, was it?  Me asking you to dance?"

            "Well, no," answered Makoto.  "Why?"

            "Because you're making it look like the hardest thing in the world," replied Haruka.  "Just ask her, Mako-chan."

            A slight blush crept onto Makoto's cheeks.  "Was I that obvious?"

            "Yeah," answered Haruka.  

            "I was going to do it, you know," said Makoto almost defensively.  "But it's different with her, and I'm guessing you know why.  Things aren't always so easy."

            "Why," asked Haruka.  "It's just a friend asking something simple from another friend.  Or are you afraid of another 'misunderstanding'?"

            "No," answered Makoto quickly.  Then more calmly, "No, it isn't that.  Not this time.  I've danced with Ami before, but it wasn't slow and she was the one who asked.  She felt bad for me because no one wanted to dance with me.  I didn't care why she was doing it, though.  And I was too happy she asked to think twice about it."  Makoto sighed.  "That's the problem now.  I want to ask her, but I keep thinking what if it embarrasses her because it's a slow dance.  You know how Ami is about these things.  I don't want to make her uncomfortable.  Or what if someone's watching?  How is it going to look, us together like that?"

            "It's going to look like two friends having a good time together," answered Haruka.  "Besides, we all know each other here.  You don't need to worry about other people tonight.  Everyone in this room is your friend, Mako-chan.  None of them are going to judge you."

            Makoto smirked at that.  Her voice held just a bit of bitterness as she replied, "They already have."  Haruka started to say something, but Makoto stopped her.  "Uhn uhn.  I don't want to talk about this now.  This is a party and we are having fun."

            For a moment Makoto forced the lead and spun the two of them around.  She laughed lightly and smiled at Haruka.  The smile on her face didn't match her tone, however, when she said, "There was one other thing I already knew that was reinforced that time I danced with Ami.  When you're in a situation where you know if you don't find a way to laugh you're certain you'll start to cry, the people around you appreciate it a lot more if you laugh.  And if you laugh long enough, you just might be able to convince yourself that the cold, empty feeling will go away."

            Haruka frowned down at Makoto.  "Mako-chan…"

            "Don't worry, Haruka," she said.  "I don't feel like that right now."  This time the smile she offered was genuine.

            Haruka returned the smile with one of her own.  Her usual sexy flirt was starting to filter back through when Haruka heard a light cough behind her back.

            "You two are getting along rather well," said Michiru, who now stood beside them.  Somewhere along the way she had traded in Usagi for Ami.

            Haruka pulled Makoto a little closer to her.  "As a matter of fact, we are.  Jealous?"

            "Of course not," said Michiru in a couldn't-care-less manner.  "I have someone else to keep me company."

            Ami blushed as Michiru said that.  Her eyes ducked down from the older girl's teasing smile.

            Before Michiru could fully refocus on Ami, a hand came down on her shoulder.  Michiru turned back to Haruka, the look in the blonde's eyes saying it all.  "Mako-chan," said Michiru sweetly, "would you mind taking over for me?  I think Ami would be better suited to someone other than me."

            "Sure," answered Makoto.  "If Ami doesn't mind?"

            Ami offered a shy smile to her friend.  "I don't mind at all."

            Makoto nodded.  Then she took Ami loosely in her arms.

            Haruka did the same to Michiru, only her grip on the girl was decidedly more firm.  She looked down when she heard Michiru's soft giggle.  "What's so funny?" she asked.

            "You are," said Michiru fondly.  "And Usagi."

            "Usagi?"

            "Mmm hmm.  Haven't you noticed," asked Michiru, "that this song is running quite a bit longer than it usually does?"

            She hadn't, Haruka admitted.  But now that Michiru mentioned it…  It was then that Haruka looked over and noticed Setsuna standing by the stereo.  Next to her were two quietly giggling little girls.  Haruka grinned as her opinion of her princess went up another notch.  "Usagi set them up, didn't she?" she said to Michiru.

            Rather than answer, Michiru put a hand to the back of Haruka's neck and pulled her down into a kiss.  Their lips parted after several seconds, but they remained with their foreheads pressed to one another.  Bodies moving slowly together, Michiru whispered, "Merry Christmas, Haruka."


	9. Makoto's Really Bad Day

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

9.  Makoto's Incredibly Awful, Completely Terrible, Really Bad Day

            There was excited chatter all around her in the classroom.  Ami put away one textbook and pulled out another as her classmates milled around during the break between classes.  Conversations were hectic and varied as everyone caught up after winter vacation.  The only common thread among it all was the complaint that vacation was too short.  Ami expected she was the only one actually glad to be back in school.  There was only one thing she would change, and then everything would be perfect.

            That wanted change made itself known as a bark of laughter made it's way to her from across the room.  Ami frowned out of reflex at the sound.  Yuu was leaning against the windowsill flirting with another of their classmates.  The girl smiled at whatever he said to her.

            "Didn't anyone ever tell you that if you frown too hard for too long your face will stay that way?"

            Ami looked up at the boy standing beside her desk.  "Excuse me?"

            "You're looking way too serious, Mizuno," said the boy, Sato Hideki, she remembered.  "Your friend was looking about the same when I ran into her.  Here," he said, handing her a tightly folded piece of paper.  "She asked me to give you this."

            Ami was too busy unfolding the note to notice the grin Sato threw her as he walked away.  She could tell by the handwriting and the little heart over the "i" that it was from Minako.

Ami,

I saw Mako-chan in the guidance office when I went by.  She is NOT happy.

Minako

            Ami's frown changed from one of annoyance to one of concern.  So far she had avoided checking up on her friend.  Makoto was showing too much to hide it anymore.  As a result, when they got to school this morning there had been a few stares as well as some whispers.  But Makoto had said she would be okay, that she was a big girl and she could handle it.  Ami had held back so she wouldn't appear to be hovering and thus get on Makoto's nerves.  Now she wasn't so sure that was the right thing to do.

            Ami glanced up at the clock.  Five minutes left before the second bell.  If she hurried maybe she could see Makoto and judge for herself just how bad the situation was.

            Before she could make a move, a call from the doorway and some wild gesturing caught her attention.  Several of the students, Yuu included, looked to the boy standing there.

            Yuu excused himself from the girl he was talking to and went over to his friend, an annoyed look on his face.  Another boy joined them as the first boy pulled Yuu out into the hall.

            The others all went back to their conversations, but Ami was concentrated on the voices in the hall.  From her seat in the front row near the door she could hear them clearly.

            "What is it, Taro?" asked Yuu sharply.  "I'm in the middle of something."

            "You have no idea just what you're in the middle of, do you?" asked the one Ami thought was Taro.

            There was silence for a moment as Ami assumed Taro was waiting for Yuu to answer.  She was sure she knew what was coming next.

            "Have you seen Kino yet?" asked Taro when Yuu stayed silent.

            "No," answered Yuu.  "Why would I?"

            Taro let out a mirthless laugh.  "You've got a problem, Satoshi.  A really big one."

*            *            *

            The bell rang signaling the start of lunch period.  Makoto gathered her things quickly to leave the classroom.  She was going to meet the others and hopefully convince them to eat somewhere other than the cafeteria.  After the morning she'd had, she was in no mood to be around any of her fellow schoolmates.

            As she hurried through the hall, Makoto glanced out the windows.  It was too cold to eat outside, and the sky had gotten grayer as the morning had progressed.  It would likely start to snow soon.  Maybe the four of them could hide out in the auditorium until the period was over.  It was usually empty at this time of day.

            "Hey, Kino, wait up!" called Yuu as he came around the corner and spotted her.

            Makoto stopped out of habit at hearing her name, then cursed herself for it.  This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.  Refusing to turn and acknowledge him, Makoto stood where she was with one fist flexing at her side.

            Yuu came around and stood in front of her.  Catching his breath, he said, "I wouldn't have expected you to be able to move so fast."

            Makoto glared at him.  "What do you want?"

            "What do you think I want?" asked Yuu.  "I want to know what you've been telling people.  And if you were ever planning on telling me."

            "What I tell people is my own business," said Makoto sharply.  "None of this is any of your concern."

            "Is it mine?" returned Yuu.  "Because if you're telling everyone that then it does concern me."

            "I haven't told anybody anything," said Makoto, hoping this answer would make him go away.  "And I don't plan on saying anything about you ever."

            Yuu stood for a moment.  Then he crossed his arms over his chest as a smug look appeared on his face.  "It wasn't me, was it?  I bet you don't even know who it belongs to.  You may try to hide it, but that's what you're really like, Ma-ko-chan."  He chuckled as he drew out the nickname.  "I've heard your friends call you that.  I bet all the boys call you that, too, the whole lot of them.  Cause I know damn well I wasn't the first, and I'd guess I wasn't the last, either.  You've probably got a whole string…"

            Yuu's words were cut off in a cry of pain as his arm was jerked roughly and twisted behind his back.  A second later he was on his knees, teeth gritted and tears forming in his eyes.

            "Go ahead, Satoshi," said Makoto, spitting out his name as if it were something foul.  "Say a little more.  Because I've had a real bad morning, and I'm just looking for an excuse to take it out on someone."

*            *            *

            Minako and Usagi were standing outside Makoto's classroom when Ami got there.  Minako waved to the girl she was talking to as they parted.

            Ami smiled at her friends.  "I guess we all had the same idea," she said with a smile.  "I take it she isn't here."

            Minako shook her head.  "She's probably waiting for us in the cafeteria.  You know, that place we said we were all going to meet at."

            "Come on," said Usagi as she grabbed Minako's arm and started pulling her down the hall.  "I'm starving, and Mako-chan always makes something special for the first day back at school."

            Ami grinned.  Today's 'something special' had been made specifically with Usagi in mind.  She and Makoto had spent several hours in the kitchen last night cooking and cleaning up.  It was done mainly to take Makoto's mind off of what she feared she'd be facing when she came back to school today.  But regardless of that, the treats had turned out wonderfully.

            The girls turned a corner and stopped dead.  Makoto stood there tense as a board as the boy with her went on and on loud enough for anyone walking by to hear.

            If Usagi hadn't been holding on to her arm, Minako would likely have charged Yuu right that moment.  She was saved from having to try and pummel him, however, by Makoto's actions.  Before they could even blink, Makoto had him on the ground and whimpering.

            Usagi stood looking more confused by it all than anything else.  Minako wasn't sure what she was supposed to do.  It was Ami who made the decision for them.  She was already three steps ahead of them when Minako and Usagi started moving forward after her.

            "Mako-chan, don't," said Ami quietly.  Her hand rested on Makoto's shoulder.  "It won't solve anything and will only make things worse for you."

            Makoto stared ahead, seeming to ignore Ami's words.  Her grip on the boy in front of her never wavered.

            Minako came around to Makoto's other side and placed a hand on her free shoulder.  "She's right, Mako-chan.  He isn't worth it."

            Makoto let out a tense breath.  With a shove, she released Yuu from her grip.

            Yuu clutched his arm to his chest.  He was muttering curses and various other things as he scrambled away from Makoto and got back on his feet.  With several feet of distance between himself and the girls, Yuu stood and glowered at them.  He was just about to say something when Ami stepped forward.

            "I suggest," said the blue haired girl calmly, "that you leave while you can still walk away on your own."

            Yuu looked back at Makoto.  The look on her face apparently made him rethink whatever he was going to say.  Without another word, he turned and walked away.

            Makoto shrugged out from under Minako's hold and stepped up next to Ami.  Both hands clenched tight, she said, "Just one hit.  That's all it would have taken."

            Ami turned to her friend, her voice sympathetic.  "Mako-chan, it wouldn't have helped anything."

            "Yes, it would have," stated Makoto, her eyes staying on the path which Yuu had retreated down.

            Ami reached out to lay a hand on Makoto's arm, but the taller girl pushed her away.

            "I need some air," said Makoto.  "I'm going for a walk.  By myself," she added when the others moved to join her.  "I don't want to be around anyone right now."

            "You shouldn't be alone, Mako-chan," protested Ami.  "Not after all that."

            "I'm never alone anymore, remember?" replied Makoto as she put a hand to her stomach.  She sighed as Ami's frown deepened.  "Look, I know what you're worried about, and I promise not to.  I won't run, jog, or so much as break a sweat.  And if I see him coming I'll turn around and go in the opposite direction.  All right?"

            Ami nodded reluctantly.  Without further words, Makoto walked away from them.

            When she was out of sight, Minako asked, "Is that a good idea?  Letting her go off by herself like that?  What if she tries to find him?  Mako-chan shouldn't be fighting right now."

            Ami shook her head.  "She promised she wouldn't.  Mako-chan always keeps her word.  Besides, if we try to stop her or follow her it will only aggravate her more."

            "He's the baby's father, isn't he?" asked Usagi.

            "Yes," answered Ami quietly.

            "How could he say those things to her?" said Usagi, truly not understanding why anyone would do such a thing.  "That was such a mean thing to do.  Not play mean like Rei does, but really mean.  How could anyone be so cruel to someone they cared about?"

            "Because he's a low-life jerk," answered Minako.  "And don't believe any of what you heard, Usagi.  None of it's true."

            "No, it isn't," reiterated Ami.  "That aside, he never cared for her, not the way he should have.  To him it was all a game," she said sadly.  "It was just something to make him and his friends feel like bigger men.  No matter that someone might get hurt along the way."

*            *            *

            Around a small table in the teacher's lounge, three women sat enjoying their lunches and the rest it gave them from their students.  Hideo Keiko, a young woman with soft brown eyes and freckles that made her appear more student than teacher, smiled as her coworkers went on about the incident in the guidance office this morning.

            "I've never seen such insolence in a student before," went on Tanaka-sensei.  Her mouth was turned down in a frown that emphasized the wrinkles around its edges.  "The girl has absolutely no respect for authority."

            Keiko's smile widened.  "She did raise something of a fuss, didn't she?"

            "You sound almost proud of her," replied the third in the group, Kume Yukiko.  Her smirk was more playful than disapproving, the amusement she felt towards her fellow teachers and their gossip showing in her green eyes.

           "I am, a bit," admitted Keiko.  "She stood up for herself, and against Itoh-san, no less.  He's a hard man to go up against.  But I suppose that's why he was given her file," she snickered.  "Kino-san isn't one to be easily intimidated."

            "It's not a matter of trying to intimidate her," returned Tanaka-sensei.  "It's about doing what's best for the school, its students, and ultimately the girl herself.  In this case, that is sending her somewhere that is equipped to deal with her particular needs."

            "What needs are those?" asked Keiko.  "So far, I've found letting her sit in the back of the room by the door so she could leave quietly when she needed to is the only consideration I've had to give her.  That and leaving her alone when she obviously doesn't feel well."  Keiko leaned back in her chair and frowned slightly as a new thought came to her.  "Though I expect the desks aren't going to be too comfortable for her in a short while.  They weren't made with pregnancy in mind."

            "How long have you known?" asked Kume-sensei, curious at how long the younger woman had kept this to herself.

            "I've suspected for a while," answered Keiko.  "But I never really expected it from Kino-san.  Not that I'd ever expect it from any of my students."

            "These days you never know what to expect from any of them," interjected Tanaka-sensei.  "Fifteen years ago, Kino wouldn't have been given a choice.  She would have simply been dismissed for her conduct.  Five years ago this wouldn't even have been an argument.  We would have just transferred the girl to keep her from causing any further disruptions.  Now it's all about hand-holding and making sure we don't bruise her feelings.  Heaven forbid we try and impress that there are consequences for every action."

            "I think she's aware of the consequences without us having to emphasize it this time," said Kume-sensei.

            "I was thinking more of the other students and what kind of message this is sending to them," answered Tanaka-sensei.

            "That's just the problem," replied Keiko.  "We need to be thinking of this girl, not everyone else.  Her friends and routine are here.  She doesn't need any more disruptions to her life."

            Tanaka-sensei shook her head.  "I still think a transfer is the best solution for everyone."

            "Who are we trying to get rid of now?" asked Watashi-sensei as he passed by the table and took a seat at another beside it.

            "We were discussing Kino Makoto and her situation," answered Kume-sensei.

            "Why am I not surprised?" said Watashi-sensei.  "We don't need those types around here.  I've been saying that right from the start of the school year, and this just proves it.  The first day back from vacation, and she's already causing problems.  So, who did she beat up this time?"

            All three women stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.  Finally with a laugh, Kume-sensei said, "You must be the only one who hasn't heard yet.  She didn't beat anyone up, Kato.  She's pregnant."

*            *            *

            Keiko kept her eyes only half focused on the novel in her hands as one of her students read aloud.  The rest of her attention was on the teenagers in the classroom.  They seemed to be paying attention for the most part, but it was the end of the day and they were getting restless.

            Hideki finished reading, and Keiko smiled at him.  "Thank you, Sato-san," she said.

            Hideki nodded once in response and took his seat.

            "All right," said Keiko, addressing the class.  "I think we've done enough for today.  Finish up this chapter and the next, and we'll go over them tomorrow."  She closed the book, then looked over at the door as a rapid knock interrupted.

            The door opened, and a woman with graying hair and wire rimmed glasses stuck her head in the doorway.  "Sorry to interrupt, Hideo-sensei," said the woman.

            "That's all right," Keiko answered the woman she recognized as one of the secretaries in the main office.  "What can I do for you?"

            "I need to borrow one of your students for a moment."

            Keiko nodded and asked which one.  When the woman indicated Ami, all eyes in the room turned to her.

            Surprised, Ami looked up from the novel she had continued to read after her classmates finished for the afternoon.  She stood to go to the woman, an uncomfortable feeling settling in her stomach.

            "Mizuno-san," said Keiko, "there's only ten minutes left.  Go ahead and take your things with you.  I'll see you tomorrow."

            "Yes, sensei," replied Ami with a slight bow.  "Have a pleasant evening."   With that, Ami gathered her belongings and followed the woman into the hall.

            The secretary smiled warmly at Ami, used to students being nervous about being pulled from class and wanting to assure the girl she hadn't done anything wrong.  "I was asked to give you a message.  A friend of yours, Kino Makoto, had to leave early.  She wanted you to know so you wouldn't worry."

            The look that crossed Ami's face made it plain that she was worried nonetheless.  She frowned as she was handed a hastily written letter.

            "Don't look so concerned, dear," said the secretary kindly.  "I heard she had a bit of a rough morning.  The stress probably just tired her out.  I can remember how easily that happens, especially the first time around when you aren't really prepared for it."

            Ami offered the woman a smile of thanks.  After they parted, Ami opened the note Makoto had written her.

Ami,

I need to get out of here.  I'm just going home, so don't worry.  I'll tell you about it tonight if you want.

Stop by on the way to Rei's.  I still want to go to the meeting.  Or we can have it here.  Whatever you guys want.

M.

            Ami refolded the paper and put it in the pocket on the front of her bag.  Two notes in one day.  She was almost beginning to feel popular, thought Ami with a grin.

            The grin was short lived, however, as she thought about Makoto.  Ami worried about just how rough the morning had been on the other girl.  She wanted to get home quickly and find out what was going on.

            Ami met Minako and Usagi after the last bell.  As they walked to their lockers, she explained as much as she could about what was happening.  The look of concern on her friends' faces mirrored the one she had worn earlier.

            The three girls gathered their things and left the school to meet Rei.  As they walked through the crowd of students exiting the school grounds, Ami heard someone call her name.  She stopped, as did Usagi and Minako.  Ami knew the voice, and it sent an icy chill down her spine to be hearing it now.

            Ami turned to face Setsuna.  She didn't even need to ask why the older Senshi was here and looking for her.  That tight feeling of fear that had been building clenched even tighter when Setsuna spoke.

            "Haruka's taken her to the hospital.  She wants us to meet her there."


	10. Things I Never Say pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

10.  The Things I Never Say - part 1

            The weight room at the sports center was empty save one person.  The sound of bare fists hitting the heavy bag echoed in the room as Makoto worked out her frustrations the only way she knew how.

            This hadn't been what she'd intended to do after leaving school.  Yet here she was, her bangs laying damp against her forehead and sweat running into her eyes.  Makoto blinked away the sting and brought a leg up to kick the bag.  Ignoring the twinge of pain this caused in her back, she continued her assault.

            Each punch and kick picked out a particular voice or face as a target.  Her right fist slammed into an imaginary Itoh-san as he listed for her in a cloying voice all the reasons she'd be better off somewhere else.  Makoto also heard all the things that were left unsaid, danced around, and sugar coated.  Like how she was an embarrassment to them and how it made their stats look bad to have an unmarried, pregnant student.

            Her left fist swung around into Watashi-sensei.  The edge of her restlessness and anger from lunch had barely worn down when he'd walked into the classroom and stood staring down his nose at her.  Wouldn't have expected to see her back, he'd said, considering her condition.

            Another kick and a few more hard punches were leveled at the mental image of her history teacher.  The man had started in on her at the beginning of class and hadn't let up.  Every answer she gave him was either wrong or inadequate.  It got to the point where she could have told him that the sky was blue and the grass was green and he somehow would have found a way to make those answers wrong.

            On and on the assault continued.  Makoto attacked her classmates for the whispers and the gossip, her teachers for the looks of disappointment and disapproval, Yuu for ever walking into her life, and finally herself for allowing any of this to happen in the first place.

            So focused was she that Makoto didn't hear the door to the weight room open.  She never heard the other person enter or her footsteps as she walked up to Makoto.  Thus, when a strong hand grabbed her arm mid swing, Makoto whirled on her opponent, more than ready to continue the fight with a real person.

            Haruka took a defensive stance reflexively.  After a deep breath to calm her fighting instincts, she frowned at Makoto.  "What the hell are you doing?" she asked, annoyed and a bit angry at the younger girl.  The sweat running down Makoto's face and staining her shirt was evidence enough that she had been at this for awhile.  She should know better, and Haruka wasn't going to let her get away with it.

            Makoto stood with her arms up and ready, the battlefire still in her eyes.  She squinted against the moister blurring her vision and finally focused on the person in front of her.  "Haruka?" she asked, feeling slightly confused.

            The blonde nodded and completely relaxed her stance.  Haruka was talking, Makoto realized, but she was having a hard time understanding what the older girl was saying.  The words were muffled, and she was finding it difficult to focus her eyes.  And with her sudden stop in movement, Makoto could now feel the weight in her overused muscles.  That weight felt like it was pulling her down and making her extremely tired.

            Then, just like that, Makoto didn't want to do it anymore.  All she wanted was for the universe to go away and let her sleep.  As her eyes began to close and her mind slowed to a crawl, she heard a voice from far away calling her name.  She felt herself begin to fall, and the last sensation she was able to register was of something warm and strong.  Then there was only blessed blackness and peace.

*            *            *

            Throughout the ride to the hospital, Ami didn't move at all.  Minako had gone to get Rei, saying not to try and wait for them and they would get there on their own.  That left Usagi sitting in the back seat with Ami as Setsuna drove.

            Usagi watched her friend as they rode.  Ami's head was down, her eyes watching the floor.  Her breathing was paced and deliberate, her chest rising and falling in equal lengths.  The hand Usagi was holding was griped tight to the point where Usagi's' hand was going numb from lack of blood flow.  Yet the blonde held on, afraid as much for Ami as she was for Makoto, because this was too still and quiet even for Ami. 

            The car pulled into a parking spot, and Ami was out and heading towards the entrance even before the engine was turned off.  Setsuna and Usagi had a hard time keeping up with her as her pace quickened.

            Usagi could clearly see the panic rising to the surface in Ami now.  The sight made her own worries and fear worsen, and she wished very much that Mamoru and the others were here with her.

            "Kino Makoto," said Ami to the woman behind the glass in the waiting room.  "She was brought in just a little while ago."

            "Are you family?" asked the woman.

            Without hesitation, Ami answered, "Yes."

            "Just a moment," said the woman.  She disappeared through a door, and Ami turned back to Usagi and Setsuna.

            Usagi put a hand on her friend's shoulder.  With a surety she didn't feel, she said, "She'll be okay, Ami.  I'm certain of it."  Usagi offered a weak smile that did little to calm the girl in front of her.

            A moment later, Ami heard her name called.  She turned to see her mother standing at the entrance to the ER proper.

            "What happened?" questioned Ami, the words coming out in a rush.  "Are they okay?"

            "Makoto's fine," answered her mother, her voice the doctor's tone she used when addressing her patients' family members.

            "The baby?"

            "He's fine, too," answered Kaya.  She brought her hands up and placed them on Ami's shoulders.  When she did she could feel the slight trembling in Ami's body.  She looked down at her little girl, worried for her.  Putting as much reassurance into her words as she could, Kaya went on, "They're both going to be okay.  Makoto overexerted herself and as a result had a dizzy spell and blacked out.  She's lucky Haruka was with her when it happened.  But at the moment, she's a bit dehydrated and her blood pressure is elevated.  It needs to go down a bit more before we release her, but other then that, everything is perfectly okay."

            Ami's head turned to the doors Kaya had come through.  Her mother could see the worry and shine of tears in Ami's eyes.  She moved her hands from Ami's shoulders to her face.  Gently, Kaya turned Ami to face her.

            "Ami," she said softly, "I promise she's okay.  But we need her to stay calm and rest.  In order for that to happen, you need to be calm when you see her.  Understand?" she asked gently.

            Kaya took a deep breath which Ami automatically imitated.  As she released the air slowly from her lungs, Ami closed her eyes and let her head fall forward onto her mother's chest.  Kaya put her arms around her daughter and held her while Ami's arms wrapped around her mother's waist.

            "It's all right, sweetheart," said Kaya softly.  "I know it was a frightening thing, but it's all over now."

            Ami nodded, her face still buried against her mother.  For a moment her grip tightened.  "I'm glad you were here to take care of her," said Ami, the words coming out muffled.  Then she looked up at her mother, a confused expression on her face.  "Why are you here?  Your shift ended more than eight hours ago."

            Kaya grinned.  "I never left.  It's been a somewhat hectic day, and they needed an extra pair of hands.  And Saatchi-san has been the one taking care of Makoto.  I'm just abusing my privileges and being nosey."  Releasing Ami from the hug and taking back some of her professional demeanor, Kaya asked, "Are you ready to see her now?"

            "Just a minute," answered Ami.  She went over to where Setsuna and Usagi stood.  "Mom says everything's okay.  I'm going to go see her, so will you tell Rei and Minako when they get here?"

            Ami barely waited for Usagi to give her an answer before she was back beside her mother and following her through the ER.

            Kaya led Ami back to a curtained off cubicle of a room.  When they entered, Haruka stood from the chair she'd been sitting in.  Near her, Makoto lay on the bed, a blanket bunched up at her feet.  The hospital gown she should have been wearing hung over the back of the bed, while Makoto still wore her sweats and t-shirt.  A damp washcloth lay across her closed eyes.  One arm rested lazily over her head, a finger wrapped around the end of her ponytail.  The other arm was stationary on the bed beside her with an IV taped to it.  Ami could already see the bruise forming around the needle.

            Kaya excused herself while at the same time reminding them that there was only supposed to be one visitor back here at a time.

            Haruka bowed slightly to the older woman and promised to leave in just a moment.

            "What happened?" asked Ami quietly after her mother was gone.

            "I went to the gym for a quick workout before I had to pick up Hotaru," answered Haruka.  She ran a hand through her hair, a nervous gesture that showed how frayed she was feeling at the moment.  "When I saw her, she was beating the life out of the heavy bag in the weight room.  I go and stop her and the next thing I know, she's on a steady descent towards the floor."

            Ami shook her head.  "She promised she wouldn't."

            "Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

            Both girls turned to the bed.  The hand that had been wrapped in her ponytail now held up an edge of the washcloth, and Makoto was glaring at them through one eye.

            "You scared the hell out of me, Mako-chan," said Haruka.  "That gives me the right to talk about you any way I want."

            Makoto dropped the washcloth back into place and went back to ignoring the people around her.

            Haruka smirked.  Then she mouthed to Ami, "She's being stubborn."

            Ami nodded and then thanked Haruka for her help.

            "Just glad I was there," answered Haruka.  She then made her goodbyes and went to wait with the others in the waiting room.

            Ami stood for several seconds just watching Makoto.  Then she went over and carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

            Makoto felt the bed shift and knew it was Ami sitting beside her.  A moment later, the washcloth was lifted from her eyes.  She opened her eyes and watched as Ami slowly dipped it into the water beside the bed and rung it out.

            With a serious and concentrated expression on her face, Ami brought the edge of the washcloth to Makoto's forehead.  Gently, she ran it along the girl's hairline and down beside her ears.  A few more careful strokes along Makoto's cheeks and under her eyes, and Ami asked, "Can you sit up?"

            Makoto started to move, then grimaced.  "I can't move the way I want to," she said, indicating her left arm.

            After a few more minutes of careful maneuvering, Makoto was sitting in an awkward position with one leg bent parallel against Ami's leg and the other curled around Ami from behind.

            "Comfortable?" asked Ami.

            Makoto nodded.  "As much as I can be."

            Ami nodded back and placed a hand on the back of Makoto's neck.  Her fingers found the knots there and gently began to work at them.  "Can you lean forward a bit?"

            Makoto had closed her eyes when Ami's fingers started moving.  Now, she made a small sound and did as asked.  She stopped when her forehead touched Ami's shoulder and rested there.

            This wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, Makoto noted, and Bug was probably feeling a bit smushed.  But this was the most relaxed she'd felt all day, and be damned if she was going to move one second before she had to.

            Ami's fingers continued to work out the tension in Makoto's neck and shoulders.  Makoto didn't know how much time had passed when Ami's hand was replaced by the cool washcloth being draped across her neck.  Makoto shifted slightly, getting a bit more comfortable.  At the moment, she was feeling truly and honestly tired.  Maybe if she could just take a little nap everything would okay when she woke up.

            "Mako-chan," said Ami cautiously, "you promised you wouldn't.  You usually keep your promises."

            Makoto sighed.  No matter what, it never lasted.  She lifted her head from the other girl's shoulder.  "I promised during lunch, and I kept that promise," answered Makoto.  "This happened after history.  And I didn't mean to do it.  I only wanted to go for a walk, but it was too cold outside.  So I went to the sports center.  One thing just led to another."  She frowned at the look on Ami's face.  "Please don't be mad at me, Ami.  On top of everything else that's happened today, I don't think I can take it."

            Ami gave her a small smile.  "I'm not mad at you, Mako-chan.  Really I'm not."  She placed a hand over Makoto's.  "It wasn't just Yuu, then, was it?"

            Makoto shook her head.  "Watashi-sensei laid into me during class.  That was just the last rotten cherry on the whole rancid sundae.  By then I just needed to get away and breathe for awhile."

            "What else happened?" asked Ami.

            Makoto took a deep breath.  "Itoh-san pulled me out of class during first period.  He spent the rest of that and all of second period telling me I'd be better off across town at Memorial.  You know they have that half-day program?  The one for working students and those with 'family obligations.'  But, damn it, I don't want to transfer!  Not again!  I earned my place in that school just like everyone else, and I'm not going to let them push me out just because I make their numbers look bad."

            "It's okay, Mako-chan," said Ami soothingly.  Her thumb stroked across the top of Makoto's hand in an unconscious gesture to keep the girl calm.  "We'll work something out.  They can't make you transfer this time."

            "I'm not going to drop out either," said Makoto adamantly.  "You worked too hard getting us to pass the entrance exams for any of us to quit now."

            Ami smiled shyly at that.  "You all worked hard.  If you had really wanted to, you could have done it without me."

            "Nope," returned Makoto.  "No way I would have been able to stay focused enough.  But we did it, and I can go to school and raise my son without any problems.  Though Itoh-san doesn't think so, since he spent nearly a half hour preaching the benefits of adoption after he realized I wouldn't leave."

            "None of us ever thought you wouldn't be able to do it," assured Ami.  "What anyone else thinks doesn't matter."

            Makoto nodded.  "I don't want Bug to ever think I didn't want him," she said softly.  "I know what that's like, when no one wants you, and it's a lousy feeling.  And when the only person in the world who's supposed to want you doesn't…  I don't ever want to do that to him."

            Ami was trying to think of a way to respond, to find a way to let Makoto know she definitely wasn't unwanted, when a small grin tugged at the other girl's lips.  Ami tilted her head to the side in question.

            "He's moving," said Makoto.  "First time today."  Her smile widened.  "You're around me more than the others, so I bet he recognizes your voice.  He knows you're here and he wants some attention."

            Ami blushed, at a loss for words.  She felt Makoto's hand begin to move around hers and then stop.  A very vivid sense of déjà vu hit her, and she blushed ever harder.

            "Ummm…  Do you want to?" asked Makoto hesitantly.  She remembered all too well what happened the last time she tried this and wasn't going to do it again without permission.

            Ami nodded, and Makoto slowly moved their hands to the round bulge in her belly.  She rested Ami's hand in the right spot, and this time Ami could feel fluttery movement under her palm.  The smile this caused lit up her entire face and vanquished all the shadows that had been chasing Makoto since the day had started.

            From a close distance, through a slight opening in the curtain, Kaya watched things play out between the two girls.  Her face was neutral, not betraying any of the emotions that were tumbling around inside her.

            Quietly, a figure stepped up beside her.  A hand was placed discretely against the small of her back, and Kaya found comfort in the strength she felt there.

            "I've let things go too far, haven't I?" she asked quietly.

            Ken's fingers rubbed small circles into Kaya's back.  "In all honesty, Kaya, I don't think there's anything you could have done to prevent it.  We don't always get to choose who we love."

            Kaya sighed sadly.  "Ami's not going to be able to let go now, and when it all falls apart, she's going to be the one left alone and hurt.  It isn't fair.  And how am I supposed to face her when I'm partially to blame?"

            It was a rhetorical question, Ken knew.  Asking these sorts of questions was how Kaya worked things out.  So rather than attempt to give an answer that wouldn't have meant anything, he applied just a bit more pressure with his hand to let her know he was there for her and smiled as she glanced up at him.

            "You look exhausted," said Ken finally.  "Go home and get some rest.  From what I can tell, they've got things under control again, and it's your night off.  Try and enjoy it."

            Kaya nodded.  "I will soon.  I want to wait for the girls."

            Ken grinned.  "I'm going to check on her now.  It shouldn't be too much longer."

            Kaya nodded back.  She leaned into his side for just a moment, then watched and waited as he went to check on her daughter's best friend.  

*            *            *

            There was a time not too long ago when Usagi had lamented that if you sat in class and stared at the clock for long enough, time would start to move backwards.  Ami was feeling a bit like that tonight.  She glanced at the clock once again, her mind only partially on the lesson being taught by her cram school professor.

            They had gotten Makoto home easily enough.  Rei had called Mamoru when Minako caught up to her and told her what had happened.  He had picked them up on his way to the hospital, and with him there, it gave them three drivers.  Ami's mother had even offered to drive the girls back to Makoto's.  Ami had seen how tired her mother was, though, and told her they could handle it on their own.  So, after a quick goodbye and a gentle reminder from her mother about class tonight, the group had left the hospital.

            Mamoru and Haruka had driven them back to the apartment.  Mamoru excused himself early on.  He never seemed completely comfortable in the middle of the group of girls, Ami noted.  But he was too much of a friend and gentleman to not at least see that Makoto got home safely.

            Ami had left not long after Makoto had been settled in.  'Settled' was a good word for it, too.  Lying on the couch in her pj's with a blanket forced over her and dinner on the table in front of her, Makoto was a semi-unwilling victim of her friends' concern and mothering instincts.  Ami was certain the three other girls would have taken turns spoon feeding their friend if they felt the task of lifting the sandwich and chewing was too strenuous for her.  But Makoto had brought it on herself, and she was just going to have to suffer through it.

            The movement of the other students gathering their belongings snapped Ami's attention back to the class.  She wasn't used to her mind wandering like this.  Thus, it came as a small shock to realize the class had ended and everyone was leaving.  Ami jotted down a few hasty notes about the next assignment before the professor could erase the board, then followed the last of the stragglers out of the lecture hall.

            Ami was in a hurry to get back to Makoto.  By now, she would have learned her lesson and deserved to be rescued.  Ami knew how the rest of the night would go, also.  After a short while, the others would leave.  Then she and Makoto could sit quietly for a time, and Makoto could get some real rest without any disturbances.  It would also give Ami time to decide whether she should try and talk the other girl into staying home tomorrow, or whether it would be better to have her at school where they could keep a closer eye on her.

            Stray thoughts tumbling around in her head, Ami almost missed the person waiting for her by the exit.  Ami stopped, more than a little surprised, as her mother stood from the bench she'd been sitting on.

            "Mom?" asked Ami.  "What are you doing here?"

            Kaya's smile was tired as she said, "I thought I'd give you a ride home.  It's pretty cold out tonight, and the weatherman is predicting snow.  Though he's been saying that for the last three days," she said with a light chuckle.  "Come on.  Let's go home."

            Ami followed her mother as Kaya walked out of the building.  They were in the car, Kaya having just started the engine, when Ami spoke up hesitantly, "I… I was going to stay the night at Mako-chan's.  Because of what happened."

            Kaya was looking straight ahead through the windshield.  Ami saw the slight nod and deep breath her mother took before she began to speak.  "I know you were planning on that, but…"  Kaya faced her daughter then, a small amount of regret visible in her eyes.  "But I think it would be best if you stayed home tonight."

            Ami's entire body tensed.  She couldn't help it, the natural instinct to fight this warring against the conditioned one to never argue with her mother.  After several seconds, Ami swallowed hard.  Her eyes dropped as a sort of internal compromise was reached.  "She shouldn't have to be alone," she said softly.  "I don't want her to be alone."

            Kaya reached a hand over and placed it on top of Ami's.  "I know, sweetheart.  You're a good friend to her.  But Makoto has other friends.  This time, you need to let them take care of her."

            Slowly, Ami's eyes rose to meet her mother's.  Kaya wanted to cry for the pain she saw there.  Once again she reminded herself that this was ultimately for the best.  Ami needed to put some distance between herself and Makoto.  And if a little hurt now would spare her child a lot of hurt in the future, then Kaya was willing to play the bad guy and be the one who caused it.

            "My things," said Ami quietly.  "My things are still at Mako-chan's.  I'd also like to say goodnight and let her know I'm not staying in person."

            Kaya nodded.  "All right," she answered.  "I'll drop you off and come back to get you in an hour."

            "Thank you."

            On the drive over, Kaya couldn't shake the slight disappointment she felt with her daughter.  When her own parents had told her to stop seeing Ami's father, that he would never amount to anything and would only wind up leaving her with a bag full of problems, Kaya had fought back hard and won.  This was a bit different, of course, and her own accomplishment was nothing to brag about.  Her parents had been right for the most part, the only good thing coming from the union being Ami.

            Ami, on the other hand, had just given up.  There was no fight, no argument, just the obedience Kaya had always felt blessed to have.  She should be grateful, shouldn't she?  This was what she wanted, after all.

            Kaya pulled into the apartment complex and parked the car.  She stopped Ami before the girl could get out of the car.  "Ami, I love you," said Kaya carefully, hoping Ami would take this for the opening she meant it to be.  "You know there isn't anything you could ever do or say that will change that."

            "I know, Mom," replied Ami.  "I love you, too."  Getting out of the car and turning back to her mother, she said, "I'll be ready in an hour."

            Kaya watched until she couldn't see Ami anymore, then slowly pulled away.  There was a diner not too far from here, and a cup of coffee would definitely help with the extra hour she was going to have to stay awake.

*            *            *

            Ami helped Rei carry the dishes and leftover snacks into the kitchen.  Her hour was coming up close, time feeling like it had sped up the second she walked through Makoto's front door.

            Makoto had been so relieved to see her.  Ami could tell just by the look on the other girl's face that she was ready to jump out of her skin from all the overattention.  She had pleaded with Ami to assure the other three that she wouldn't fall over dead if they played something more exciting than Go Fish.  Or, barring that, to at least get them to let her go to the bathroom without an escort.

            Usagi's father came to pick her up not long after Ami returned.  It was then that Ami found an opening to tell them she would be leaving soon as well.

            After hearing this, Rei volunteered them for clean-up, mostly as an excuse to get Ami alone and ask if she was all right.  Thinking it would make the other girl feel better about having to leave, Rei offered to stay the night in her place.

            "Grandpa won't have a problem with it," said Rei as she stood on tiptoe to return the box of crackers to the top shelf.  "So don't look so worried, Ami.  She'll be okay without you for one night."

            The dishes Ami had been holding clattered hard against the bottom of the sink.  Rei turned around to see Ami gripping the edge of the sink so hard her knuckles were turning white.  Her head was bowed and Rei had to strain to hear her when she spoke.

            "But I don't want her to be okay without me," said Ami softly.  "I want to be the one who takes care of her.  I know it's selfish, and I should just be glad she's all right and not begrudge her the few real friends she has.  I can't help it, though.  I want her to be mine, and only mine."

            Rei came up behind Ami and laid a hand on her shoulder.  Giving it a light squeeze, she said gently, "It's okay to want that, Ami.  It doesn't mean you're being selfish.  But if you think it does, then I give you permission to be selfish tonight."

            Ami's grip loosened just a bit, and Rei saw a single tear run down her cheek.  "Why did she do it, Rei?" asked Ami, her voice quiet and sad.  "She wasn't alone.  We were there.  **I was there.  So why did she do it?"**

            Rei could only shrug, not having an answer and not thinking it would matter even if she did.

            Releasing her grip on the sink, Ami looked from the miko and moved several steps away.  She turned back to Rei, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.  "I hate her for it sometimes," said Ami, a slight quiver to her words.  "I hate her for feeling like she's alone when we've been here, when I've been here, for so long.  I hate her for going to someone who didn't care for her at all and giving herself to him when I've done nothing but care for her without asking for anything in return.  I hate that I have to see him everyday.  I hate him for not loving her, her for not loving me or wanting me the way I do her, and myself for not being able to stop."

            Ami's words petered off into a hitched sob.  Rei went over to her and put her arms around her as all the tears Ami had kept bottled up began to fall.  At a loss for real words, Rei made soft noises at the smaller girl like those one would make to a frightened child.

            "I love her so much," said Ami after several seconds.  "Sometimes when I look at her I forget how to breathe because of how she makes me feel."

            "I know, Ami," said Rei gently as she lightly stroked a hand over Ami's hair.

            Ami shook her head and pulled away from Rei's embrace.  Swiping at her tears with the back of her hand, she said, "No, you don't, because it isn't just her anymore.  I want Bug, too.  I can almost imagine what it will feel like to hold him or what he'll look like when he's sitting on the kitchen floor banging on her pots and pans with a wooden spoon.  And I can imagine what it's going to feel like the day someone takes them away from me."  Ami's eyes closed tightly as she wrapped her arms back around herself.  "It hurts, Rei.  It hurts," she cried quietly.

            There wasn't anything Rei could say to this.  None of the false assurances that first sprang to her mind would help and would likely cause more damage if spoken.  So she simply stood and allowed Ami to lean on her and let out as much of the pain as she could.

*            *            *

            Makoto removed her toe from the edge of the kitchen door and let it close the fraction she'd been holding it open.  She sagged against the wall feeling cold and sick.  "Ami," she whispered to herself, her eyes closing against the tears she felt forming.

            That last 'I hate her,' followed by the sounds of Ami crying, had been all Makoto could take.  If this wasn't her own home, she would leave and never come back.  Maybe she should do that anyway.  Anything to make Ami stop hurting.

            "Hey, Mako-chan, what's taking so long?" called Minako lightly as she came back into the living room.  She stopped short when she saw Makoto.  "You okay?" she asked, worry replacing mirth.

            Makoto pushed away from the wall and hurried over to Minako before she could get close enough to the kitchen door to hear or be heard.  "Yeah, but there aren't any bulbs in the kitchen," said Makoto as she redirected the blonde back to the hallway.  "We'll have to take one from one of the lamps in the bedroom."

            Minako regarded the taller girl closely.  "You're lying.  What's going on?"

            Makoto laughed at the blonde, though it seemed forced in nature.  "You're too suspicious.  Come on, because you're going to have to put it in.  Ami hid my stepstool weeks ago, and I still haven't found it, so we're going to have to use a chair to reach the bathroom light."

            "I'm not going to let you start climbing on chairs, Mako-chan," said Minako sternly.

            "I know.  That's why I said you have to do it," answered Makoto.  "Now come on and let's do this before they get done in the kitchen.  Otherwise, I'll tell everyone how you screamed like a little girl when the light blew out."

            Minako frowned at her.  "Some friend you are," she said.  "And after all I've done for you, too."

            As Minako rambled on good naturedly about what a good and neglected friend she was, Makoto tried to use her voice as a distraction from what was going on in the kitchen.  If it had been anyone else who had made Ami cry she would have hunted him down and pounded him into the ground.  Makoto had no idea what to do when the person she should be beating up was herself.


	11. Things I Never Say pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

11.  The Things I Never Say - part 2

            "She's pacing."

            Ken squinted in confusion at the voice on the other end of the phone.  He was used to being pulled out of bed at three in the morning, but at least his messenger service knew better than to throw cryptic phrases at him right after he said hello.

            Slowly sitting up, he reached for the light beside the bed.  "Kaya, is that you?" he asked groggily.

            "Yes, it's me," came a frazzled sounding response.  "She's pacing, Ken.  Ami doesn't pace.  She isn't that high strung."

            Ken brought a hand up and scrubbed at his face, the early morning stubble on his cheeks abrasive against his palm.  "Kaya," he said patiently, "stop moving."

            There was a pause on Kaya's end as Ken imagined the sudden halt in her own pacing.  He heard an annoyed grunt, and then, "I hate you."

            Ken smiled.  "I know.  Now take a deep breath."  When he heard Kaya exhale, he said, "Now sit down and tell me what's wrong."

            Kaya did as she was told.  When she began to speak, her voice held a weariness Ken wasn't used to hearing from her.  "I made Ami stay home tonight.  After what happened at the hospital, I thought it would be best if Ami put some distance between herself and Makoto.  She didn't argue with me at all, only asked if she could say goodnight.  But when I went back to get her, something was wrong.  She said Makoto went to bed before she could say goodnight to her, and then all she did was wring her hands and fidget for the whole ride home.  When we got back here, she went upstairs to go to bed, but she's done nothing but pace back and forth for most of the night.  She keeps stepping on the same loose board every sixth step."  Kaya sighed, sounding like she was on the verge of tears herself.  "I just want to keep her from getting hurt, Ken, and now I think I've only made things worse."

            At that moment, Ken wished he was there to hold her.  Putting as much comfort and strength into his voice as he could, he said, "You're doing the best you know how to for her, Kaya.  She'll understand that someday, even if she doesn't now.  But you can't protect her from everything," he said gently.  "No matter how hard we try, sometimes they're still going to get hurt."

            "I know, but I have to try," answered Kaya.  "I saw all those girls in the waiting room this afternoon, and I was amazed.  It's rare that I get to see them all at once, and there they were because they were all concerned for Makoto.  But in all of this, who's worrying about Ami?"

            "Have you tried talking to her about it?"

            "I don't know how to," admitted Kaya, the frustration she felt creeping into her voice.  "She hasn't come to me about any of it, and until recently, I was perfectly willing to let her take it at her own pace.  You have to understand, Ami was somewhat of a late bloomer.  She was always so shy about things, and terribly embarrassed about anything that had to do with sexuality.  When she was younger, I tried to have a talk with her about it.  She was always getting into my medical journals and asking questions about the material, so I didn't think it would be a problem.  I was certain she already knew the basics, anyway.  But as soon as I started speaking, her eyes hit the floor and she turned bright red.  For days after that she avoided me.  I finally pulled her into the kitchen and forced her to bake cookies.  There's a precision to it, mixed in with just a bit of experimentation, that appeals to her nature.  She's enjoyed doing it ever since she was old enough to stand at the counter and help mixed the dough.  Somehow, though, I don't think baking cookies is going to help this time."

*            *            *

            Rei flipped over onto her stomach with a definite lack of grace.  Her face burrowed into the pillow as one arm was flung over the back of the couch.  She growled in annoyance as her legs tangled in the blankets Makoto had given her.  Without lifting her head, Rei tried to reach behind her to pull at the blanket, but could only brush it with her fingers.  With another annoyed growl, she started to roll to the side to see if she could get a better grip and…

            "Son of a…" cursed Rei as her back encountered nothing but air.  As she went over the edge of the couch, her arms flailed and her elbow impacted with the coffee table.  Holding her arm against her, her eyes squeezed shut and watering, Rei let loose with a string of curses that did her title of Sailor proud.

            After a few minutes, Rei took a deep breath, rubbed hard at the spot she was sure would have a bruise by morning, and then began to untangle the blankets from her trapped legs.  "How does Ami do this every night?" she asked herself as she pulled at her makeshift bindings.

            When she leaned forward to pull at the fabric around her feet, Rei went far enough to see around the edge of the couch.  She scooted forward onto her hands and knees and stared in confusion at the light coming from under the kitchen door.  "I know that wasn't on when I went to bed," she said.  Then she looked up at the clock and her expression changed.  With a shrug, she muttered, "Guess I got some sleep after all.  Oh, well.  Might as well go see what's going on.  Beats sitting here talking to myself."

            When she entered the kitchen, Rei found Makoto at the table snacking on a jar of peanut butter.  Rei wrinkled her nose at the sight.

            Makoto smiled and held up the jar.  "Want some?" she asked, knowing full well what Rei's response would be.  Then threw in for good measure, "It's extra chunky."

            Rei grimaced.  "Ugh.  No thanks."  She took a seat on one of the stools by the breakfast counter.  "You could at least make a sandwich out of that, you know."

            Makoto shook her head as she swallowed another spoonful.  "Nope.  It's better straight."

            "If you say so," replied Rei, not at all understanding Makoto's fascination with the substance.  Then, wondering why the other girl was up so late, asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

            "Yeah," answered Makoto.  "I was just thinking about some things and couldn't stop long enough to fall asleep."  She stuck the spoon in the jar and slowly stirred it around.  "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

            "You didn't," said Rei with a shake of her head.  She smirked when she remember just what had woken her up.  "I was having trouble sleeping myself.  No offense, Mako-chan, but your couch isn't the easiest place to sleep.  I was just thinking before I came in here that I don't know how Ami does it every night."

            Makoto frowned at the mention of Ami's name.  For a moment, her eyes dropped from Rei's.  When she raised them a second later, Rei could see a difference.  A wall had dropped, and there was a sadness there that ran deeper than anything she'd sensed before in this girl.  The sensation it caused in her own soul left her with a chill.

            Makoto took in a slow breath.  Upon releasing it, she said, "I was just sitting here thinking I don't know _why Ami does it."_

            Rei hesitated.  Then, very cautiously, she said.  "She's your friend.  She does it because she cares about you."

            "Right.  She cares," replied Makoto.  She turned away from Rei and rested her chin against her arms on the tabletop.  "She cares about me, and I've done nothing but hurt her.  Yet, she still cares, and she's still here.  And she hates us both for it," finished Makoto with a sad sigh.

            Rei fixed Makoto with a scrutinizing stare.  "You heard what she said tonight, didn't you?"

            "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," answered Makoto.  "I just wanted to get a light bulb for Minako.  Then I heard Ami's voice, and she sounded so upset.  I needed to know why, and I knew she wouldn't tell me because she already thinks I'm too stressed out."  Makoto made a sound that under other circumstances would have been a laugh.  "But I suppose that's not why she wasn't telling me, is it?"

            Well, now she knew why Makoto had gone to bed without saying goodnight to them.  Rei released a long sigh and ran a hand through her hair.  "Just perfect," she mumbled to herself.  Then to Makoto she said, "Look, Mako-chan, what she said…  She just needed to blow off some steam.  Ami's been holding it in for a long time.  She can't help how she feels, you know, and she's always so careful about it.  Today was just too much for her.  But she's still your friend.  She always will be, no matter what.  Her feelings won't get in the way of that.  They just sort of complicate things."

            Makoto shook her head.  "That isn't it, Rei.  It doesn't bother me that she has feelings for me.  What bothers me is that I never knew.  All I've ever wanted to do was protect her from this, and because I didn't see it happening, she got hurt."  Makoto's voice turned a bit wistful.  "I care for her more than I've ever cared for anyone.  I wish I had known."

            "Mako-chan," said Rei hesitantly, "the way you're talking, it almost sounds like…"

            "Rei," said Makoto, cutting off the other girl.  She lifted her head from her arms, looked right into Rei's eyes, and took one of the biggest steps of her life.  "I'm gay."

            Rei's mouth fell open as she gaped at the other girl.  Finally she blurted out, "Since when?"

            Makoto smirked.  "Since I was thirteen and realized I was having a better time watching the cheerleaders and their pompoms than I was watching the basketball team.  The boys' team, anyway.  The girls' team was another story.  But there were never any cheerleaders at those games.  Guess they thought there was enough fan service on the court," concluded Makoto with a shrug.

            Rei just sat there shaking her head.  She brought a hand up over her eyes and rubbed at her temples.  "I don't believe this," she said mostly to herself.  "And after all this…"  Then she moved her hand away and looked at Makoto.  "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

            Makoto couldn't stop the bitterness she felt rising in her, and it was evident in her voice as she spoke.  "After everything the four of you said to me, how can you even ask that?"

            "We never talked about any of this in front of you," said Rei defensively, realizing belatedly that she was admitting to all their gossip.

            Makoto's chuckle was a less than pleasant sound.  "No, I suppose you didn't.  Do you really not remember?"

            Rei shook her head helplessly.

            "'Don't give up, Mako-chan,'" said Makoto, pulling up the old memory.  "'There are still plenty of cute guys out there.'  The four of you falling all over each other and saying what a huge problem it was that I might have a crush on another girl.  And Usagi.  I can't tell you how many times she told me I shouldn't because Haruka was a girl."

            "Oh," answered Rei, suddenly feeling very guilty, "that."

            "Yeah, that," answered Makoto.  "After all of that, do you really expect that I would have said anything to you about it?"

            "I guess you wouldn't," replied Rei.

            "And believe me, the irony in our situations isn't lost on me, either," added Makoto.  "Seeing as how I'm not the one who gave up on boys."

            Rei blushed at that.  Wanting to get the conversation away from herself, she leaned back against the counter and put her hands behind her head to stretch.  "So," she said almost absently, "you really did have a crush on Haruka, huh?"

            "Maybe a little," admitted Makoto.  She sat up fully and reached for the peanut butter.  Toying absently with the spoon, she added, "But that wasn't all of it.  Back then, and even now though not as much, Haruka seemed like the perfect person to me.  She was beautiful, talented, and not only had she accepted who and what she was, but she had embraced it.  She was everything I wanted to be, and I just wanted to be around her for a while.  Like maybe if I could be near her, I'd figure things out for myself."

            "They did seem perfect, didn't they?" said Rei.  She chuckled lightly.  "I remember when Ami finally said what we'd all been thinking.  That maybe they really were together like that.  It seemed so strange, yet they looked so right together.  We just weren't used to that sort of thing, I guess.  Maybe that's why we talked about it so much when you went off with her."

            Rei smiled ruefully at the look Makoto shot her, then said, "Yeah, we talked about you.  I wouldn't think you'd be surprised to find that out.  But just so you know, Ami never had anything to do with it.  She actually yelled at us for it once.  Literally raised her voice and told us we didn't have our priorities in order.  Then the rest of the time she would hide behind a book and pretend she wasn't listening.  That was when I figured it out.  Poor thing didn't know what to deny harder.  That she was in love with you or that she was actually interested in our gossip."

            Makoto watched her spoon as she drew figure eights in the peanut butter.  "I'm glad she had you to talk to, at least."

            Rei moved off the stool and went to sit beside Makoto.  She rested a hand on the other girl's arm, hoping Makoto would accept what she was offering.

            Makoto smiled at her friend.  Folding her arms, she rested her chin on them once again.  "It wasn't just you guys, you know," she said as she stared at some invisible spot on the wall.  "I wasn't comfortable feeling like that, never was.  It went so against everything I was supposed to want.  I mean, the princess is supposed to fall in love with a prince, not one of her ladies in waiting."

            Makoto laid her head so she was facing Rei, and the other girl imitated the position.  Right then, they looked like nothing more than two children with their heads together and trading secrets.

            "When I was little," went on Makoto, "my mom would tell me about how she and my dad met and fell in love.  It was this incredible fairy tale to me, and I always wanted one just like it.  Dad would call me his princess, and Mom would tell me about all the wonderful things that would happen when I was grown up and met a young man just like my daddy.  My prince.  Then, when I began to understand some of the things I was feeling, I could sense it all slipping away from me."  Makoto blew air out between her lips in remembered frustration.

            "I didn't want to lose my happily-ever-after," she went on.  "And I didn't want to be any different than I already was.  So I did everything I could to ignore it.  I decided I wasn't going to wait for my prince to come to me, I was going to go to him.  When he told me I wasn't feminine enough to appeal to any guys, I decided to become the perfect ideal of feminine.  Or at least I tried to.  I thought if I could do that, and if I was patient enough, one of those frogs I always seemed to be kissing would turn into my prince.  Then he would kiss me back, say he loved me, and we would ride off into the sunset together amid cheers from all our friends and a bunch of little woodland creatures," she finished with a self-depreciating smirk.

            Rei, sensing she had permission, returned the smirk with one of her own.  "Mako-chan, you do know that's not how it really works?  Not even in the fairy tales."

            Makoto thought briefly on her own princess and all the things she'd been through to be with her prince.  "Yeah," she answered, "I figured that out after a while.  Didn't stop me from trying to find it, though."

            Leaning in closer, Rei touched her forehead to Makoto's.  After a moment, she pulled back a bit, a grin on her face.  "And you really have a thing for Ami?" she asked in a tell-me-a-secret tone.

            Makoto mirrored Rei's grin.  "Since the first time I saw her," she answered.  "But Usagi was the only person at school who wasn't afraid to talk to me.  I wasn't going to mess that up by hitting on one of her friends.  It wasn't easy, though, because when I saw Ami, she was just so…"  Makoto trailed off into an appreciative sigh.

            Rei looked just a bit confused at this.  "I remember when we met, Mako-chan.  It was that boy you went chasing after, not Ami."

            Makoto shook her head a bit.  "He reminded me of my sempai and was a good distraction.  Believe me, I was grateful for it at the time.  Later, though, when it was all over and I was alone, I didn't think there was going to be enough cold water in all of Tokyo to make the image I had of her go away.  Because in that first moment when I saw her, Ami was just like this living, breathing schoolgirl fantasy."  Makoto's eyes became unfocused and faraway as she called up that first impression.  In her voice were hints of longing and awe.  "I remember this adorable girl was standing there in her perfectly pressed uniform, holding her little black cat, and her mouth was formed into this perfect, tiny "o".  She had a light blush going across her cheeks, and her eyes…  Kami, those eyes.  If she'd have been wearing her glasses I don't think I would have survived it.  And then when Usagi told me Ami was the shy, genius type, it… just… Rei?"

            Rei's face was screwed up into an uncomfortable looking half grin.  Her right eye had acquired a slow tick, and she was looking right through Makoto to something only she could see.  Makoto waved her hand in front of Rei's eyes and said her name several times before Rei finally snapped out of it.

            With a jump that almost knocked her chair backwards, Rei refocused on the girl in front of her.  She glared accusatorily at Makoto.  "Okay, thanks to you I now have a mental image of Ami that I never **_ever wanted."_**

            "But it's a nice image, isn't it?" said Makoto mischievously.

            "That is entirely beside the point!" returned Rei.  She shuddered for emphasis, then took a deep breath and tried desperately to get this newest image out of her head.  "Urrgg… I swear, the two of you are perfect for each other," she said in annoyance.  "When you talk to her, be sure and tell her that part about the schoolgirl thing.  She'll appreciate it."

            Makoto blanched.  "I can't tell her.  Neither can you."

            Rei waved a hand dismissively at Makoto.  "Trust me.  And remember to ask her the part about you petting Luna," she said with a laugh.

            Makoto shook her head.  "What?  No, that's not what I mean.  You can't tell her anything about what I just said.  Any of it.  And neither can I."

            "Why the hell not?" questioned Rei, more confused than ever now.  "I though you were in love with her."

            "I am," answered Makoto.

            "So, then, what's the problem?"

            "Weren't you listening when she was speaking to you?" asked Makoto as if the answer were obvious.  "She hates me.  And she hates herself for ever having loved me after everything I've put her through."  She frowned and looked down at her fidgeting fingers.  "You know, I kind of thought she was happy about the baby.  But then, I've spent four years completely misunderstanding everything she was trying to tell me.  Why should this be any different?"

            Rei made several noises that were a cross between annoyed and confused.  "What are you talking about?" she asked.  "I thought you said you were eavesdropping."

            Makoto looked back up at her.  "I was.  She said she hated herself, and then started crying, and I couldn't take anymore.  Then Minako came back into the room, and I had to deal with her."

            Rei threw her hands up, completely exasperated with this girl.  "Ya know, Mako-chan, if you're going to listen in on other people's conversations, you really should stick around for the whole thing.  Ami doesn't hate you.  For whatever reason, her idea of perfect is being here with you, changing diapers and getting up at three am with a screaming infant.  That's what she wants, even if she is a bit annoyed with you for not figuring it out on your own."

            "Really?" asked Makoto quietly, for the first time feeling some real hope.

            Rei nodded.  "Yes, really."

            Makoto's mind ran down the list of doubts she still held.  "I'd be asking her to accept an awful lot, even if it is what she thinks she wants.  It wouldn't be fair to do that to her."

            "I think it's a lot more unfair of you not to tell her," answered Rei.  "Because by not telling her, you're taking away her choices.  And since you get one, she deserves one, too.  Not to mention that it's supremely unfair of you to let her go on loving you and thinking she's not being loved in return."

            "She loves me," said Makoto, a silly grin spreading across her face.  "I never really thought…"

            Rei smiled as the darkness lifted from around Makoto.  "Yes, she loves you.  And she never really thought either.  You're going to talk to her, right?" pressed Rei.

            Makoto nodded.  "Yeah.  Tomorrow.  She's spending the night."

*            *            *

            Having completely given up on the couch, Rei was spread out on the floor, arms and legs akimbo.  She blew at her bangs, their movement over her forehead the only amusement she could find at this hour.  At least, she thought to herself, she wasn't the only one not getting any sleep tonight.  Rei was pretty sure that at least two of the others were suffering as well.

            "But at least they get to suffer in their own beds," she said as she gave one final, long exhale.

            Turning onto her side, Rei propped her head up on her hand.  She reached over to her bag with her other hand and fished around for several seconds until she encountered the object she was looking for.  Pulling out her communicator, she played her fingers over it for several seconds before finally activating it.

            As she waited for the call to be answered, Rei sat up and leaned against the couch.  After a few minutes, the viewscreen activated and a sleepy, disheveled blonde head popped into view.

            "I'm up, I'm up," said Minako groggily.  Her eyes were only half open, and her words were sleepy-slurred when she asked, "Who's attacking now?  It better not be that kid again.  Ack!"

            The viewscreen tumbled along with Minako as she tripped.  In the background, Rei heard Artemis yelp in pain.  When Minako's head came back into view, the blonde was gingerly rubbing a spot on the top of her head.  "Where do I need to meet you guys?" she asked.

            Rei held back a laugh.  "We're not being attacked, Minako.  You don't need to meet us anywhere."

            Minako's features went slack as she frowned in confusion.  "Then why'd you call me?"

            "I can't sleep, and I'm bored," answered Rei.  Then she frowned.  "And I have this image stuck in my head that I can't make go away."

            "Rei," whined Minako, "it's 4:30 in the morning.  If the sun isn't up yet, I don't want to be either."

            With a smirk, Rei replied, "You've never complained about it before."

            "Only because you were right there next to me," returned Minako, her scowl turning into a sleepy grin.  She rubbed at her eyes and moved up onto the bed.  Lying on her stomach with her head propped on her hands and her communicator upright in front of her, she asked, "So what's this image?  I assume that's what you want to talk about."

            Rei shook her head violently.  "Uhn uhn.  I want to make it go away, not relive it.  Talk to me.  I don't care about what so long as it isn't that."

            Minako thought for a moment, blowing little puffs of air between her lips as she did.  Finally she said, "I think Mako-chan heard you and Ami talking earlier."

            Rei nearly glared at her.  "Why didn't you tell me that before you left?"

            Unperturbed, Minako shrugged.  "I wasn't sure.  I mean, this is Ami we're talking about.  She's never said a bad thing about anyone in her life.  But Mako-chan seemed upset about it.  Did she say anything to you about it?"

            "Mako-chan said a lot of things to me," answered Rei with a sigh.

            When she realized Rei wasn't going to elaborate any further, Minako said, "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

            Rei shook her head.

            "Fine," answered Minako.  She turned over onto her back so all Rei could see on her communicator was the top of Minako's head.  Her hands played with the pink ribbon on the front of her nightgown.  "Then I won't tell you any of what I know either.  I won't say anything about how Mako-chan got all quiet after she heard you, or how strange it was that she didn't want to see Ami anymore.  Because Mako-chan always wants to see Ami."

            Minako tilted her head back so her smiling face was upside down on Rei's viewscreen.  "She cares about her, you know.  _Really cares."_

            At this point, Rei was too tired to be anything other than amused.  "What makes you say that?"

            "Well," answered Minako as she turned back onto her stomach, "I wasn't sure at first.  But then there was all that stuff with Haruka, and I started to wonder about the way she was always hanging around Ami.  But she always went boy watching with us."  Minako frowned in a way that Rei found absolutely adorable.  "Then she went and got pregnant and that pretty much killed my whole Ami theory.  Until recently anyway.  See, Mako-chan can barely handle a few hours of us fussing over her, but Ami does it more than any of us, and she let her move in."

            Rei laughed.  "Ami doesn't live her, Mina.  If she did, I would be asleep in my own bed right now."

            "Look around you, Rei," said Minako.  "Those are Ami's books on the shelf over by the TV.  Ami's slippers over there by the door.  Her toothbrush is hanging in the bathroom, her clothes are hanging in the closet, and she even has her own underwear drawer.  Now if that doesn't say 'I live here' I don't know what does."

            "How do you know about that?" questioned Rei.

            Minako grinned innocently.  "I was looking for a light bulb.  Anyway, what are we going to do about it?"

            Rei shook her head.  "_We aren't going to do anything.  Mako-chan said she's going to handle it.  We're going to give her a little time to get things straight in her own head.  But if she doesn't by the end of the week, a little gentle persuasion from her friends might be in order."_

            "We could always lock them in a closet together," suggested Minako with a giggle.

            "Yeah," smiled Rei.  She sighed.  "You know, I think the five of us have had a serious breakdown in communication lately.  We all need to get together and have an all-out, no holds barred gossip fest."

            Over the music of Minako's laughter, Rei heard another sound.  The metallic clink of a key sliding into a lock gave way to the front door opening slowly.

            "I've got company, Mina," said Rei quickly and quietly.  "Gotta go.  Love you."  She deactivated her communicator and shoved it under her pillow just as Ami noticed her on the floor.

            "Rei, why are you on the floor?" asked Ami softly as she moved into the living room.

            "It's more comfortable than the couch," answered Rei.  "Why are you here so early?  It's barely five o'clock."

            Ami shrugged as she sat in the chair across from Rei.  "I just couldn't sleep."


	12. A Little Bit of Warmth

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

12.  A Little Bit of Warmth

            "…We could always lock them in a closet together," suggested Minako with a giggle.

            "Yeah," smiled Rei.  She sighed.  "You know, I think the five of us have had a serious breakdown in communication lately.  We all need to get together and have an all-out, no holds barred gossip fest."

            Over the music of Minako's laughter, Rei heard another sound.  The metallic clink of a key sliding into a lock gave way to the front door opening slowly.

            "I've got company, Mina," said Rei quickly and quietly.  "Gotta go.  Love you."  She deactivated her communicator and shoved it under her pillow just as Ami noticed her on the floor.

            "Rei, why are you on the floor?" asked Ami quietly as she moved into the living room.

            "It's more comfortable than the couch," answered Rei.  "Why are you here so early?  It's barely five o'clock."

            Ami shrugged as she sat in the chair across from Rei.  "I just couldn't sleep."

            Rei smirked.  "Join the club."

            Ami nodded absently, then moved over onto the couch.  As Rei continued talking, she reached down between the couch and end table and pulled out the pillow she always slept with.  "Mom was still asleep when I left," answered Ami as she laid down and tucked the pillow under her head.  "I didn't see a point in waking her up."

            "You snuck out?"

            "No, I left early for school," replied Ami.  She yawned and closed her eyes as her head snuggled down into the pillow.  "I always leave early for school."

            Rei raised an eyebrow in disbelief.  She would have commented on Ami's 'leaving early for school', but it was pointless.  Ami wouldn't have heard her.  Rei glared at the form curled up and sleeping peacefully on the couch.  _I swear the two of you are going to be the death of me._

*            *            *

            Stretching her arms out in front of her, Rei let out a long yawn.  She could feel the bags under her eyes and knew this was going to be an early night.  One, thankfully, she would be spending in her own bed.

            The group had gone back to Makoto's after school.  Not much studying had been done, though.  Ami was too tired to enforce proper study habits even after the hour nap she'd taken on Makoto's couch this morning.  The rest of them, save Usagi, were too tired to put any real effort into it anyway.  As for Usagi, she wasn't about to argue if no one wanted to do schoolwork.  So their homework had been rushed through and was close to done when someone, Rei wasn't sure who, had brought up the question of what they were going to name the baby.

            Now here they sat, names being tossed out as Minako kept track of them in her notebook.

            Makoto shook her head at the latest suggestion.  "No.  That was my father's name."

            "I'd think that would be a good reason to keep it," said Minako.

            "It's bad luck to name babies after people who died young," answered Makoto.  "And we've got enough problems to deal with as it is without jinxing ourselves any more."

            Minako sighed.  "Okay," she said as she leaned over her notebook on the coffee table.  "New column – Bad Luck Names.  Though I've never heard that one before."

            Usagi and Ami, who were seated with her on the floor, said neither had they.

            "I have," chimed in Rei.  "It's an old superstition."  She propped her feet up on an empty packing box and sank further down into the chair.  "What have we got so far, Minako?"

            Minako picked up her notebook, cleared her throat, then read off, "Along with lots of bad luck, we've got Too Hard to Spell, Too Easy to Make Fun Of, Doesn't Sound Right with Kino, and Miki, which somehow managed to stay out of the Too Easy to Make Fun Of column."

            "I kind of like that name," said Ami.  "Kino Miki."

            Usagi leaned over and put a hand to Ami's mouth.  Dramatically she shook her head in warning.  "Don't say that, Ami.  If you do, that's what she'll name him."

            "Ha, ha, very funny," said Makoto.  Her voice tried to sound annoyed and insulted, but the smile she wore gave her away.  Crooking a finger, she ordered, "Come here, Usagi."

            Usagi scooted over and hid behind Ami, using the girl as a shield.  "Uhn uhn, I know your reputation," she said, her eyes peeking over Ami's shoulder.

            "Don't make me come after you, little girl," said Makoto.  She patted the spot beside her on the couch.  "Come up here and I'll give you a surprise."

            Usagi looked at her warily.  "What kind of surprise?" she asked as she moved out from behind Ami.

            "A good one," answered Makoto.  "Now come on, or I'll give it to someone else."

            Not wanting to lose whatever she was going to be given, Usagi put a bit of haste into her movements.  As an afterthought, just before getting up, she lifted the glasses from Ami's face and put them on her own.  Once on the couch, she smiled at Makoto.  "You wouldn't hit a girl with glasses, would you?"

            Makoto chuckled.  "I suppose not.  I'll just have to give you something else, then.  Here, hold out your hand and close your eyes.  But take these off first," said Makoto as she reached for the glasses and carefully took them from Usagi's face.  "You'll ruin your eyes if you keep them on for too long."

            A chorus of "Yes, mom," accompanied by Ami's giggle greeted that statement.  Makoto ignored them, only rolling her eyes at their silliness.  She then had Usagi close her eyes and took the outstretched hand in hers.

            When the hand was placed on Makoto's stomach, Usagi opened her eyes.  A second later, those eyes went wide as saucers, and Usagi pulled her hand back in surprise.  "It moved!" she squealed in wonder.  A huge smile formed on her face, and she put her hand back to its place on Makoto.  "Make him do it again," she said excitedly.

            Makoto smiled at her.  With a finger, she tickled just under the spot where Usagi's hand rested.  "Come on, Little Bug," she said after a moment of no movement.  "I know you like attention.  Say hi for your Aunt Usagi."

            Rei watched the two of them with a grin.  Makoto had Usagi's complete attention.  The look of childish amazement and expectation on the blonde's face was priceless.  The grin that had formed on Makoto's face was a bit different, though.  Almost mischievous, Rei would have said.  When Makoto turned and looked at Ami a second later, Rei found out why.

            "Say something, Ami," said Makoto.  "Anything, cause it looks like you're the only person whose attention he wants."

            Color rose immediately to Ami's cheeks.

            "Does he really move for Ami?" asked Usagi.

            Makoto nodded.  "Yep, no lie.  I think he recognizes her voice already."

            "Wow!" answered Usagi.  "You're so lucky, Ami!" she exclaimed.

            "Makoto's just teasing you, Usagi," said Ami as she reached for her glasses and put them back on.

            Minako smiled and held back a giggle as Ami tried to hide behind her lenses.  A second later, a toe tapping against her shoulder made Minako turn around.  Rei looked back and forth between Ami and Makoto, then nodded towards the door.  Understanding what Rei was saying, Minako nodded back in response.

            Stretching her arms high over her head, Minako said, "Well, it doesn't look like we're going to get any more done here tonight, and my mom's been getting on me about how much time I've been spending away from home lately.  I better get going before she decides to adjust my curfew or something."

            "Yeah, me too," added Rei.  "There's some chores I need to finish at the shrine before it gets too late."  She stood and stretched, her back cracking lightly as she did.  "Come on, Usagi.  We'll walk you to Mamoru's.  You wanna spend as much time with him as you can before he has to leave next week," she threw in, knowing Usagi wouldn't say no if her Mamo-chan was mentioned.

            Usagi sighed and leaned back, her head tilted against the back of the couch so she was looking at the ceiling.  "I wish he wasn't leaving again."

            Makoto gave the smaller girl's hand a squeeze.  "It's just one more semester, Usagi.  Then he'll be home for good."

            Usagi rewarded her with a grateful smile.  She then laughed as Rei and Minako each took one of her hands and tugged her up off the couch. 

            Makoto followed the three girls to the door and said her goodbyes.  When she turned around, she saw Ami straightening the papers and books that had been left scattered on the coffee table.  There was still some rosy color in her cheeks, and her hair fell softly around her glasses as she worked.  For several minutes, Makoto stood and watched, enjoying the sight before her.

            Eventually, Ami looked up and smiled at her.  "That was a nice thing you did for Usagi."

            Makoto smiled back and shrugged.  "It was her turn."  She then went over and sat in the chair Rei had vacated.  Her gaze stayed level at Ami.

            Ami put her elbows on the coffee table and propped her head in her hands.  She stared back at Makoto, her eyes never wavering.  "Something's on your mind," she said after several seconds.  "What are you thinking?"

            "I'm thinking," started Makoto.  "I'm thinking about the first time I met you and how cute I thought you were.  And how I always wondered what you would have looked like at that moment if you'd been wearing your glasses."

            Ami's head lifted in surprise, the expression on her face clearly showing it.  She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and knew they must be flaming red.

            Makoto grinned widely.  "Yeah.  It would have been something like that."

            Ami's eyes dropped to the table and she quickly removed her glasses.  Her hands began to fuss nervously with the papers in front of her.  "What a silly thing to say," she said, her voice shaking just a bit.  Ami put the papers inside her textbook and stood from the table, the textbook held tightly in front of her.  "You shouldn't tease like that, Mako-chan," she chided as she began to turn away.  "I'll go put these away.  Then maybe we can…"

            Ami's words cut off as Makoto's arms wrapped around her from behind.  The suddenness of it startled Ami, and she dropped the book.  Papers scattered around their feet as they stood in silence.

            "I'm sorry," said Makoto finally.  "I'm sorry I hurt you.  I was only trying to protect you from this.  At first it was just about keeping you and the others as friends and not making things weird for everyone.  I didn't want to force what I was or how I felt onto you, especially with our lives as complicated as they were becoming.  I felt alone with it all and didn't know how to handle it.  I guess I was too busy dealing with my own stuff to realize how you felt, and I'm so sorry I never understood all the different ways you tried to tell me."

            Ami's back was pulled uncomfortably close to Makoto's front.  She could feel both their heartbeats, each equally rapid.  "Let me go, Mako-chan," she said softly.

            "No," answered Makoto.  Her grip tightened a fraction.  "I heard what you said to Rei.  It isn't true, Ami.  Since I met you, there hasn't been a day when you weren't wanted.  Not one.  I… I love you."

            Ami tensed, her eyes going wide.  Not like this.  She didn't want it this way.  With a shake of her head, she repeated, "Let me go.  Please."

            Reluctantly, Makoto released her hold on the smaller girl.  Ami moved several steps away, Makoto watching as Ami's shoulders rose and fell as she took several deep breaths.  When Ami turned around, she had her eyes cast down, unable to meet Makoto's.

            "You don't have to say that to me, Mako-chan," said Ami sadly.  "I won't leave."

            "Ami…" said Makoto as she took a step forward.

            Ami backed up a step to match Makoto's.  "You weren't supposed to hear what I said.  No one was.  But I won't leave you," she said again.  "You don't have to say those things to me to keep me here."

            "No, Ami, I wouldn't," said Makoto.  She moved forward again before Ami could retreat any further.  She put a hand under Ami's chin and gently forced her to look up.  "I would never say that to anyone unless I meant it, and especially not to you if it wasn't true."  She let her hand drop.  "And I wouldn't say it just to keep someone with me.  I don't want to keep you here if this isn't where you want to be."

            "Why are you telling me this now?"

            Makoto shrugged.  "Because it wouldn't be fair to let you go on loving someone and thinking they didn't love you back."  Makoto sighed, her eyes closing for a moment.  When she opened them, Ami was still standing there, watching her and waiting for something.  "But I suppose," Makoto continued, "that telling you isn't completely fair, either.  I know I messed up, Ami, and that this isn't an ideal situation.  I also know that I'm asking an awful lot from you by saying I want you as more than a friend.  You're going to do so much with your life.  I mean, you can write your own ticket, go anywhere you want, do anything you want.  I don't want to be what holds you back or ties you down, but I want you with me.  So maybe, if you want…  Um, Ami, what are you doing?"

            Slowly, Ami's fingers traced a path from Makoto's elbow to her shoulder and back down again.  Ami's eyes focused on the movement as she said, "I'm touching you.  I'm allowed to do that now, right?"

            Makoto swallowed hard, then shivered as Ami's fingers moved back up her arm then softly along the side of her neck and further, eventually tracing around the contours of her ear.  "Uh, yeah.  If you want to."

            Ami nodded, her expression one of concentration as her fingers lightly stroked over Makoto's cheek.  A small smile graced her lips as her index finger ran the length of Makoto's nose and moved away with a slight tap to the tip of it.  That smile reflected on Makoto's face and Ami couldn't resist.  Her finger moved down and traced along Makoto's top lip, then the bottom one, absolutely in love with the warmth and softness she felt.

            Reaching up, Makoto took Ami's hand in her own.  Twining their fingers together, Makoto brought Ami's hand to her lips and kissed the knuckles.  "Are you sure this is what you want?"

            Ami nodded.  Her free hand moved to play with the bow on the front of Makoto's uniform, and her eyes dropped to focus on that.  "For a long time, all I've wanted was to be with you.  Even when this happened," and her fingers fell to rest on Makoto's belly, "I still wanted to be here.  I never expected to find myself as emotionally involved as I've become, but I've been here since the beginning, and I want to be a part of the rest of his life as well."  Ami smiled shyly as her finger drew a little heart.  "And not just because he's your son."

            Leaning in closely so her mouth was right beside Ami's ear, Makoto whispered, "Wanna know a secret?  He loves you, too.  Almost as much as his mom does."  Then she pressed her lips gently against Ami's ear.

            A shiver ran down Ami's spine at the contact, and she closed her eyes against the sensation.  Another shiver accompanied an increase in her heartbeat as Makoto kissed her cheek and rested her hands on Ami's hips, pulling the smaller girl just that much closer.  When Makoto's lips finally touched against hers, Ami thought she would melt from the sheer pleasure she felt humming through her body.

            Relaxing into the gentle kiss, Ami allowed Makoto to lead her.  After a moment, she found her own response, and with slightly more pressure, her lips moved easily against Makoto's.  When they finally broke apart, both were breathing hard and looking more than a little dazed.

            "That was pretty good," said Makoto through a grin.

            "You have a gift for understatement," replied Ami.  She rested her head against Makoto's chest and wrapped her arms around her as the other girl hugged her arms around Ami's shoulders and rested her chin on top of Ami's head.  "Mako-chan?"

            "Hmm?"  Makoto looked down and saw the blush rising in Ami's cheeks.

            "Your couch is uncomfortable," said Ami into Makoto's blouse.  "I don't want to sleep there anymore."

            Makoto played with a stray piece of Ami's hair, tucking it behind her ear even as she grinned at the girl's embarrassment.  "You know," she teased, "my couch is going to get a complex if people keep saying that.  I'm going to have to sleep there myself just so its feelings don't get hurt."

            Ami's hold around Makoto tightened slightly.  "Mako-chan, I told you.  Don't tease like that."

            "I'm sorry," answered Makoto with a light laugh.  She reached down and tilted Ami's head so she could look at her.  "I'm not real comfortable sleeping on the couch anymore either.  What say we both share the bed tonight?"

            Ami nodded her agreement.

            "Okay," said Makoto.  She released Ami and started leading her towards the hall.  "I know it's still early, but I don't think either of us got much sleep last night.  Want to play catch-up?"

            Ami smiled and followed without argument.

*            *            *

           Jumping up onto the windowsill, Luna edged out of the opening she'd come in through.  Taking the small knob between her teeth, she closed the window behind her, then jumped down to the landing outside Makoto's apartment.  What she wanted now was simply to get home and out of the cold night air.

            Luna had thought it would be a good idea to check up on Makoto tonight since Usagi hadn't been sure whether or not Ami was staying over.  She had done this before on the nights she knew Makoto was staying alone since all of this had begun.  After all, even though Usagi was her main ward, all the girls were under her charge.  So it had seemed like a good idea to check in on Makoto, even if it had turned out to be a pointless trip.

            When Luna had looked in on her, Makoto was very obviously alright.  And so was Ami, if the contented smile she wore as she snuggled against Makoto's side was any indication.  They were both asleep, and Luna had seen fit to leave it that way.  She would give them both the obligatory lecture another time, after she'd had some time to think the situation through for herself.

            Going from a fence top to the sidewalk, Luna stopped and waited for the traffic signal to change.  She'd had firsthand experience with what happened when one crosses against the light, and she wasn't taking any chances no matter how deserted the street seemed to be.

            Looking up to watch the light, Luna bypassed it and stared at what she could see of the moon.  The night was overcast, dark clouds obscuring all but a few thin strips of the full moon.  The memory it called up for her was clear, however, as she remembered what her queen had said to her the day Luna met the girls she would be training.

            On first impression, they had seemed so different from each other in personality.  Luna wasn't certain they'd get along with the princess, let alone each other.  And if they couldn't get along with each other, how were they supposed to fight together as a team?

            "It's your responsibility to see that they learn to respect and trust each other," Serenity had said to her.  "Remember, Luna, that these girls have given up everything to come here.  They have only three things left to them now:  Their destiny, their duty, and each other.  While the first two can be great things on their own, they offer very little comfort on cold nights."

            With a sigh, Luna addressed the memory of her queen.  "I know this isn't exactly what you meant, but at least they're getting along well.  And it is a very cold night," she added by way of complaint as the wind picked up and blew hard and icy against her.

            The light changed, and Luna began to cross the empty intersection.  She was halfway across when the first flake landed on her ear.  She looked up at the sky only to have another one land squarely in her eye.

            "Just perfect," she muttered as she started running for home.

            When Luna got back to Usagi's fifteen minutes later, the snow was falling so heavily she could barely see through it.  She jumped into the tree outside Usagi's bedroom window, then onto the ledge beside it.

            Inching around the drawn shade, then landing on the carpet with a light thud, Luna stood and shook the moisture from her coat.  She was cold, tired, and cranky.  All she wanted to do was lie by the heater and go to sleep.

            "Luna, that you?" asked Usagi as she sat up and scrubbed at her eyes with a fist.  She yawned hugely, then said, "I guess Ami stayed the night after all."

            "Yes, she did," answered Luna, sounding more agitated than she intended.

            Usagi crawled to the end of her bed.  "What's the matter?" she asked.  Then she noticed the water dripping from Luna's fur.  "Aw, Luna, you got all wet.  How'd that happen?"

            Usagi got up off the bed and went over to her desk.  From the back of the chair, she picked up the pink towel she had hung there earlier.  "This is dry now," she said as she walked over to Luna.  "You can use it to dry off."

            Usagi sat on the floor in front of Luna and pulled the cat into her lap.  She wrapped the towel around her and began to dry her off with a care Luna wouldn't have ascribed to the girl a few years ago.

            "It's snowing," answered Luna belatedly as Usagi rubbed at her head.  "I got caught in it on the way home."

            "Maybe I'll get lucky and school will get canceled," grinned Usagi.

            Luna only huffed in acknowledgement.

            "Is the snow why you were so cross when I asked you about Ami?" asked Usagi as she concentrated on Luna's front paws.  "Or was there something else?"

            Luna's nose crinkled at the suggestion as well as the small smile that was tugging at Usagi's lips.  Without answering, she removed herself from Usagi's lap and jumped up onto the bed.

            "You caught them together, didn't you?" laughed Usagi.  "Like we caught Rei and Minako."

            Luna raised her head from her paws.  "I don't know what you're talking about Usagi," she said pointedly.  "And even if they were doing anything, I wouldn't have caught them anyway because I, unlike some other people, know enough to knock on someone's door before entering."

            "They were asleep, huh?" said Usagi as she crawled back onto the bed.

            Luna sighed.  "How do you know about this?  I'm certain they haven't told anyone."

            "Minako and Rei," answered Usagi with a grin.  "They were in an awful hurry to get out of there tonight, and I could tell they were keeping secrets.  I thought they were going to run off and do something together, so I was teasing them about it when Minako finally cracked and had to tell me.  But Rei said it was okay because they might need my help.  They were gonna ambush Mako-chan and Ami if they didn't come clean with each other about how they felt."  Usagi giggled.  "Guess they won't have to do that now.  But ya know, Luna, it all sort of surprised me," said Usagi as she fell back against her pillows.

            "I wasn't expecting it either, Usagi," replied Luna.

            "Hmm?  Oh, I don't mean that," answered Usagi.  "I actually thought they got together months ago and just hadn't told us yet.  I was surprised because they hadn't."

            Luna groaned.  "Goodnight, Usagi.  I'm going to bed now," she said as she tried to ignore the girl on the bed and the headache forming behind her eyes.

            Reaching out with her big toe, Usagi scratched just under Luna's ear.  Then, cuddling down into her own blankets, said, "Don't worry about things so much, Luna.  They'll all be okay and everything will work out fine.  It has to, because they need each other too much for it to not."


	13. Out in the Open pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Note:  This part took awhile longer to get out than I expected.  I'm blaming it on a small case of burnout.  But it seems to have passed, so hopefully the next few chapters won't take more than a few weeks.  And for those holding out for the Rei/Minako stuff – just a little longer.  I promise.  ^_^

**********************

13.  Out in the Open – pt 1

            Makoto awoke the next morning to the feeling of a warm body snuggled up against her back.  Lips pressed gently against her shoulder as a hand lightly caressed her hip and thigh.  Fingers trailed up along her side before an arm draped over her to hug her even closer.

            Makoto turned so she was on her other side facing Ami.  Ami's hair was tousled, her eyes bright and happy, and her mouth was turned into the same sleepy grin she'd been wearing when she fell asleep.  Makoto ran her fingers through Ami's hair, brushing it back off her face.  She grinned back at the girl, then leaned in closer and brushed her lips softly against Ami's.

            "Any regrets," Makoto asked quietly when she pulled away.

            "None," said Ami with a shake of her head.  

            Ami reached out and pulled Makoto back to her.  Their legs tangled together, Makoto's toes tickling along Ami's calf.  Ami's mouth found its way to Makoto's collarbone and laid small kisses in a path to her neck as Makoto's fingers drew obscure patterns on her back.  Ami was just beginning to wonder if they had time for anything more involved when the alarm clock answered the question for her.

            With a disappointed sigh, Makoto rolled over and shut off the alarm.  She turned onto her back and Ami was there cuddling against her side before she had a chance to take a second breath.  "Hey now, none of that," said Makoto with a smile.  She poked a finger into Ami's ribs, which made the other jump.  "I'd like to stay like this, too, but we have to get ready for school."

            Ami grinned.  "I never thought someone would ever have to force me to get out of bed for school.  Least of all you."  She rolled so she was on her stomach, her chin resting atop her hands on Makoto's chest.  "Mako-chan, are we going to tell them?"

            Makoto chewed on her lip for a second as she thought.  "Well, Rei already knows, more or less.  Haruka does, too.  It's just a matter of telling everyone else.  I think we should," she said with a nod.  "And the sooner the better, because there's something I've realized in all of this."

            "That they're our friends, and they'll support us no matter what?" asked Ami.

            Makoto blinked at her.  "Well, there is all of that, I suppose.  But I was thinking more along the lines that between the two of us, we can't keep a secret worth a damn."  She reached around and ruffled Ami's hair.  "Come on.  I'll start breakfast while you take a shower."

            Makoto got out of bed and pulled on her nightshirt before Ami and her teasing eyes could stop her.  She was halfway through her livingroom when the glare off the balcony made her stop.

            "Hey, Ami," she called to the girl, waving her over.  "Come take a look at this."

            Ami, dressed only in a robe with a towel slung over her shoulder, went to stand beside Makoto.  The world outside Makoto's glass doors was covered in white, the newly risen sun reflecting off the stuff and making everything unusually bright.  There was at least a foot of snow piled up on the balcony and just as much on the ground below.

            Makoto put an arm around Ami's shoulders.  "Maybe they canceled school," she said as she pulled Ami so her back was to the glass.  "I can think of some much more interesting ways to spend my day than in a classroom."

            Makoto leaned in and nuzzled her lips just below Ami's ear as her hand moved down and loosened the robe's sash.  Reaching inside the robe, Makoto's fingers sketched light circles around Ami's belly button.  She could feel the muscles contract as the girl tried not to giggle or squirm away from the tickle of her finger tips.  Finally, she rested her hand flat against Ami's stomach.

            "I wish my belly was still this flat," said Makoto as her hand gently stroked the soft skin.

            Ami smiled and brought a hand up to cup Makoto's cheek.  "I don't know," she said in a slightly teasing tone.  She let her hand fall to the curve of Makoto's stomach.  With a finger, she traced along the diameter and then up to the ample swell of Makoto's breasts.  "I kind of like you all rounded like this."

            Makoto's laugh wound up a hiss as Ami's fingers found her nipple through the fabric of her nightshirt.  "Maybe…  Maybe we should check the news and see if there's been any cancellations."

            "Good idea," agreed Ami.

            Before either girl could let go of the other, a loud _thwack sounded as a snowball landed against the glass door._

            Makoto smirked.  "I know where that came from, those nosey little devils," she said as she pulled away from Ami and went over to the closet.  Pulling out her boots and jacket, she continued, "That one had to come from Aki.  Ruri's arm isn't that good."

            Once her boots and jacket were on, Makoto opened the balcony door and stepped out, ignoring the looks Ami shot her for not putting on a pair of pants first.  Her eyes scanned the balcony that sat near the corner were the two outer walls met, searching for the twin girls.  After a second, her eyes spotted identical hot pink tassels peeking up over an upturned bench.

            "I wonder where that snowball came from," she said loudly with exaggerated curiosity.  "Hey, Ami, any ideas?" she called through the open door.

            The question was greeted by a pair of giggles.  Two little heads popped up, both identical from the braids in their hair to the daisy pulls on their boot zippers.  Not for the first time, Makoto wished their mother would dress them differently so she would have some way to tell them apart.  Some way other than Aki's pitching arm, anyway.

            "Hi, Mako-chan," called the twin on the right.  "We're building a fort.  Mom said we could."

            "Do you and Ami wanna come play with us?" asked the twin on the left.

            Before Makoto could find a polite way to say she and Ami were having a better time playing by themselves, the door behind the twins opened.  "Good morning, Kino-san," said their mother.  "I hope these two weren't bothering you this early in the morning."

            Aki and Ruri looked insulted at that.  As if snowball fights and fort building weren't the most important things in the day, especially when it was the first snow of the season.

            "They're never a bother, Matsumoto-san," answered Makoto politely.  "Actually, we were all hoping we'd have the day off so we could enjoy the snow."

            The older woman smiled.  "No cancellations in this district, I'm afraid.  All you're going to get is a two hour delay while they clear off the roads."

            "That's better than nothing," replied Makoto.  She scooped up a small handful of snow and formed it into a ball.  "Isn't that right, Aki?"

            The twin on the left grinned hugely and scooped up her own snowball.  Ruri squealed excitedly and ducked back behind the bench, out of the line of fire.  Their mother, smart woman that she was, moved back inside and quickly closed the door.  On her side of the complex, Ami followed suit and left Makoto to her own devices as the brunette engaged in a brief snowball war with a six-year-old.

            When Makoto came in a short time later, the livingroom was empty.  "Ami," she called as she unzipped her jacket and pulled off her boots.  Both landed in a wet pile by the doors.

            "In the kitchen," answered Ami.  "I'll be out in a minute."

            True to her word, Ami returned to the livingroom and took a seat on the couch beside Makoto.  She handed her one of the hot mugs of tea she was carrying.

            "Thanks," said Makoto as she took the mug between both of her hands.  "It's cold out there."

            "I told you to put on pants," said Ami.

            "That wouldn't have saved me from Aki's snowballs," returned Makoto.  "We have a two hour delay, by the way."

            Ami grinned, then set her mug down on the coffee table.  She pulled her legs up under her and leaned against Makoto's side, laying her head on the taller girl's shoulder and ignoring the chill that came off her body from being outside.  "Mako-chan," she said as she twirled a damp strand of Makoto's hair around her finger, "I'd like to ask a favor."

            Makoto smiled around her mug.  She took a slow sip of the hot liquid, then set it on the end table beside her.  She moved her arm behind Ami and settled it around her shoulders.  "What's that?" she asked.

            "Before we tell the others, I'd like to speak with Rei privately," answered Ami.  "After everything I've made her listen to, she deserves that much."

            Makoto nodded as she thought about just how much Rei had listened to.  Through a small laugh that left Ami looking confused, Makoto agreed and said she thought it was a good idea.  Then, "What about your mother?"

            "I don't know," answered Ami honestly.  "I've considered how I would tell her, but this was all so terribly sudden.  I wasn't expecting to have to say anything to her on the matter for quite some time, not to mention this isn't something I'm terribly comfortable having to discuss with her at all."

            Makoto's fingers came up and stroked Ami's cheek.  "We've got time," she said gently.  "Think about how you want to handle it and we'll do whatever you want."

            "Thank you," said Ami as her arms wrapped loosely around Makoto.

            Pulling her closer, Makoto kissed the top of Ami's head.  "Come on," she said.  "We need to get ready for school.  And since I'm already wet and freezing, I get the shower first."  Then she grinned.  "You could always join me.  In the interest of conserving time and water, of course."

            Ami smiled.  "Of course.  What a good idea, Mako-chan."

            Makoto smiled back the whole time as Ami pulled her into the bathroom, then helped her out of her cold clothes and into a warm shower.  Yeah, she thought, there were lots of better ways to spend the morning than in a classroom.

*            *            *

            A few hours later, fed, dressed, and bundled against the cold, Ami and Makoto headed out to meet the others.

            They spotted Rei and Minako in the usual spot.  Just as Makoto raised her hand to wave, Usagi came running up behind them… And then went sliding right passed them as her feet hit a patch of ice and lost what little traction they had.  Arms pinwheeling, she let out a warning scream right before crashing into Minako.  Both girls went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

            A chaotic struggle ensued as the two on the ground tripped over each other trying to find purchase to pull themselves up while the three left standing tried to help them.  Rei was the first to find a free hand.  She took it and gave a tug, pulling Usagi forward out of the mess and onto her knees.

            Usagi looked up at her savior with a slightly pained expression on her face.  "Thanks, Rei," she said as one hand rubbed the sore spot on her hip before Rei took that one as well and pulled Usagi to her feet.

            Makoto reached out a hand to Minako.  "You okay?" she asked.

            The blonde was holding her shoulder and through a grimace answered, "Yeah.  I'll live."  She reached for the hand Makoto offered.  When their hands touched, and Minako really registered who was helping her, an amused leer began to form on her lips.  With more than a little suggestiveness, she asked Makoto.  "And how are **_you this morning?"_**

            "Um… I'm fine," answered Makoto hesitantly, a blush forming across her cheeks.  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Usagi trying to hide a giggle as Rei rolled her eyes.

            Once Minako was on her feet, that insufferable 'I know something' grin still on her face, Rei walked over to her, dragging Usagi with her.  Rei put a hand on Minako's back and forced her to start walking.

            "Let's go," said Rei as she led the two blondes forward.  "They gave us a two hour head start, so we won't have any excuses for being late."

            They'd only gone a few steps when Rei's charges broke away from her and hung back to walk beside Ami and Makoto.  Usagi walked beside Makoto and smiled up at the taller girl when Makoto looked down at her suspiciously.  Minako had taken up residence beside Ami.  She spent several minutes stealing sideways glances at the girl until she was certain Ami knew she was being observed.  Then Usagi and Minako looked at each other, smiled conspiratorially, and nodded once in agreement.

            Minako leaned in close to Ami's ear and whispered so only she could hear, "Hey, Ami.  You're walking funny."

            Ami stopped dead, her eyes going wide and her cheeks instantly flaming red.

            "What's the matter?" asked Makoto when Ami refused to budge from where she stood.

            Ami's head was down, her eyes staring at her shoes so she wouldn't have to look anyone in the eye.  Her response to Makoto's question was a swift shake of her head and a small sound that would have been 'no' if she'd spoken a little louder.

            "All right," said Rei, putting her hands on her hips and looking sternly at Minako and Usagi.  "What did you two do to her?"

            "We were just teasing a little," answered Minako in their defense.  "It's only fair after all the stuff we had to listen to after they caught us together."

            A smirk formed on Makoto's face.  "You know."

            Three heads nodded.  

            "Not worth a damn," mumbled Makoto to herself with a chuckle.

            Then Rei said, "You were looking pretty primed last night.  And after what we talked about, I thought you might take a chance.  But I was gonna come after you if you didn't," she added with a grin.

            "And Luna stopped by to check on you last night," said Usagi.  Then, when Ami's eyes slammed shut and her face got even redder, she quickly added, "But you two were asleep.  She didn't see anything."

            "That's just so totally unfair," complained Minako, a great deal of humor behind her words.  "When you guys walked in on us, I was 60 seconds away from what would have been the best orgasm of my life, and that completely ruined it.  Luna could have at least caught you guys kissing or something."

            "Okay, that's enough," said Rei.  A devilish smile appeared on her features.  "If you keep talking like that, Ami's head is going to explode.  Mako-chan, take care of your girlfriend.  Everyone else, leave the poor, little popped cherry alone and get moving," ordered Rei.  She turned and started walking away.  "Let's go, because if I'm late I'm going to have an irritated nun on my case.  And there is nothing in this world worse than an irritated nun."

            Usagi flashed a thousand watt smile at Makoto, then, after the other girl had returned it with a smile of her own, started running after Rei.

            Ami stood where she was, still refusing to either move or open her eyes.

            Minako put a hand on her friend's shoulder.  "I was just playing around, Ami," she said apologetically.  "I thought it would be easier on you guys if we didn't take things too seriously.  I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

            Makoto moved closer to Ami's side so Ami could feel she was beside her.  "Ami?"

            Ami moved her head a bit and slowly opened one eye.  Makoto smiled at her and Ami opened her other eye and returned the smile shyly.  Then she turned to Minako, the smile turning to a look of worry.

            "Forgive me?" asked Minako.

            Very quietly, Ami answered, "I'm not upset with you, Minako.  But," she licked her lips nervously, "can you really tell?"

            Minako had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.  "Honest, Ami," she managed to get out with a straight face, "it was only a joke.  No one's going to know anything unless you tell them."

            "Swear?"

            Minako put her hand over her heart.  "I swear."  She grabbed Ami's arm and started pulling her forward, Makoto following beside them.  "Now, you guys have to tell me everything.  I can't wait to hear about this.  Pregnant sex.  Ha!"

*            *            *

            Seki sat in his car, a fair distance away from the street corner the girls always stopped at.  It was too damn cold to be out here today, and the school delays weren't making things any easier.  But he had a job to do, and he was going to do it so he could get on a plane and go back home.

            Spotting the girls, he took a quick drag off his cigarette, then lifted his camera.  The group dynamics were a bit different today than they had been the other times he'd followed them here.  The blonde with the ponytails -- for the life of him, he couldn't remember her name -- was hanging onto Rei.  Minako was pulling on the doctor's daughter and the pregnant one.

            Seki adjusted his lens and took a few shots.  The new camera worked like a dream, the telephoto lens making it possible for him to stay far enough back that they wouldn't see him.

            When they finally stopped, the situation he was used to presented itself.  Rei and Minako moved away from the others to say goodbye to each other.  Not that Seki could really hear them.  Over the last few months, he was sorry that he couldn't, because the way they were saying goodbye was becoming more and more open.

            Today, Minako had her arms around Rei's neck.  Rei's hands were resting on the blonde's waist as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk and engaged in a rather intimate kiss.

            The cute, blue haired one, Ami, looked more embarrassed by it than usual.  More like she had when the two lovebirds first came out.  Seki could relate.  He'd nearly swallowed his tongue the first time he saw them kissing.  At least back then they'd had the decency to be discrete about how affectionate they were in public.  Now it was a free show for anyone walking by.

            A few rapid shutter clicks and Seki had all he needed for this trip.  He packed up his gear and waited for the girls to leave.  Once they were far enough out of sight, he started the car and headed back to the hotel.  If he was lucky, the airport would be clear and his plane would take off on schedule.


	14. Out in the Open pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

14.  Out in the Open – pt 2

            Makoto held the small teddy bear on her lap and nervously straightened its purple bow one more time.  Seated next to her on the bus seat was Ami.  The blue haired girl watched the other's actions with some amusement.

            "Hotaru will like it, Mako-chan," said Ami.  "She'll like her birthday present as well.  You shouldn't be so concerned about it."

            "I hope so," answered Makoto.  She tugged on the bear's ear.  "I just hope this is enough of an apology for messing up her birthday dinner."

            Makoto thought back to Thursday night, when she had realized what she'd done.  She and Ami had been sitting together trying to puzzle out the symbolism in the reading assignment Hideo-sensei had given her classes.  At one end of the couch, Ami was going on about the hero and his shield.  At the other end, Makoto sat with her legs tangled comfortably around Ami's and listened as the girl spoke.  Makoto's eyes had drifted shut as she concentrated on the sound of Ami's voice, the actual words just flowing over her head.

            Feeling more playful than studious, Makoto tickled the inside of Ami's thigh with her toe.  A light slap and an admonishment to pay attention because this was going to be on the test were her answers.  Makoto had nodded and promised to pay attention as Ami went back to her analysis.  Her eyes closed again, however, and her thoughts had begun to wander.

            Makoto had been feeling pretty good the last few days.  She and Ami had talked a bit about things, but most of the time was spent just enjoying each other and being happy-in-love, which left a lot about their situation unsaid.  But all of this was new, and they couldn't be blamed for wanting to just enjoy it for a while before having to deal with bigger realities.  Things like telling Ami's mom.  But that was Ami's thing, just like telling Mamoru was going to be Usagi's, and it was going to be Ami's decision how to handle it.

            Then there was Haruka's gang to tell.  Makoto wanted to do that herself, if for no other reason than to see the look on the Haruka's face when she told her she'd finally gotten the girl.  Makoto thought Saturday would be a good time to do that, after Hotaru's birthday party.

            Remembering the party was what had triggered it.  Her eyes had popped open, and she sat up as quickly as her tangled legs and expanding stomach would allow her.  "Hotaru's birthday," she'd said to a questioning Ami as she moved.  "It was Monday.  I completely forgot."

            "The party isn't until Saturday," Ami had answered, still confused about what a child's birthday had to do with ancient Celtic literature.  "We've already got her presents."

            "No, no," said Makoto, "this isn't about the party.  It's about Monday.  Her birthday, when her parents no doubt had plans for her, and two of them wound up having to spend all of their free time with me at the hospital.  Haruka didn't even make it to the school to pick her up."  Makoto shook her head in annoyance at herself.  "I have to apologize.  Little kids don't forget when you mess up their birthdays."

            It had been too late that night to call Hotaru, though that hadn't stopped Makoto from calling the girl's parents.  Haruka had told her not to worry about it, that they all understood.  But Makoto still wanted to do something to make up for it.  So she'd spent Friday evening dragging everyone around looking for something to help her say 'I'm sorry.'  The furry, tan bear she now held on her lap was the result of that.

            Makoto tucked the bear back inside his gift bag and rearranged the tissue paper over and around his ears just before the bus pulled to their stop.

            When they got to the house, Hotaru greeted them enthusiastically at the door.

            "Happy birthday, Hotaru," said Ami as the little girl pulled them inside.

            "Thank you," answered Hotaru.  "You're the first ones here, and I've got something really good to show you, too."

            Makoto smiled at the girl.  "Can't wait to see it," she said.  "But before you show us, I have something for you.  I know Monday was really your birthday, and that your parents wanted to spend it just with you.  I'm sorry I took them away from you for so long that night."  Makoto held out the brightly colored gift bag.  "I hope this helps to make up for it a bit."

            Hotaru took the package that was being offered to her.  "Thank you, Mako-chan, but you didn't have to."  She shook the bag slightly, peering down into the tissue paper, then asked eagerly, "Can I open it?"

            Makoto nodded, and Hotaru knelt down and set the bag on the floor.  Her hands reached in and moved aside the tissue paper until she felt something soft and furry.  Her smile widened as she pulled the bear from his wrappings.

           "You're so cute," Hotaru cooed to the stuffed animal as she held him up in front of her.  "I hope you didn't have to stay in there for too long."  Hotaru hugged the bear to her and stood, one arm reaching up to Makoto.

            The taller girl bent down to hug the child.  "Do you like him?" she asked.

            "Very much," said Hotaru with a nod.  As they pulled back from the hug, she added, "You don't have to worry about my birthday.  I know it was an accident.  And Michiru-mama still made my favorite dinner.  We just waited until everyone came home to eat.  We had cake and ice cream afterwards, too.  And I got my special present," she said excitedly.

            Hotaru hurried into the next room in search of a parent with Makoto and Ami following more sedately behind her.  "Setsuna-mama," she said when she found her, "look what Mako-chan got for me.  He's a special present," she explained as she held out the bear for Setsuna to see.  "I want to show them my other special present.  Can I, please?"

            Setsuna smiled and nodded at her little girl.  "You may if you'd like," she answered.  "Have Haruka-papa get it for you so I can finish setting things up in here."

            "Okay," answered Hotaru.  She turned to Makoto and Ami.  "Wait here.  I'll be right back," she said as she ran off to get Haruka.

            Setsuna turned and offered the girls a polite smile.  "Good afternoon," she said to them.  "How are you both?"

            Their bit of pleasant small talk was interrupted a few minutes later as Hotaru came back into the room.  "Smile," she called happily to them.

            Makoto smiled for her and almost laughed at what she saw.  The teddy bear had been tucked into the large pocket on the front of Hotaru's overalls.  Hanging from one of the belt loops on the side was her 35mm camera, just the way it had been when they'd arrived.  And held up to her eye was a shiny, new camcorder.

            Haruka appeared in the doorway behind Hotaru.  She leaned against the doorframe, a proud, 'I made my daughter happy' grin on her face.

            Makoto waved at the camera even as she felt Ami going shy beside her.  "What an incredible present," she said.

            Hotaru lowered the camera and hurried over to show it to them.  With a little help from Haruka, she pointed out all the bells and whistles.  "I got the good kind of batteries with it," she went on.  "The ones that last for seven hours at a time, so I can record lots of stuff.  And it takes still pictures, too.  They get saved on a special computer card so I can print them out.  I'll show you."

            The camera was lifted back to her eye and pointed at Ami.  Hotaru pushed a few buttons on top, then held the camera so they could see the still frame on the swing out mini screen.

            "Cute picture," smiled Makoto, to which a slight blush appeared on Ami's cheeks.

            Hotaru giggled.  Then she remembered the secret Chibi-usa had told her, and that it had been long enough so it wasn't a secret anymore.  "I almost forgot," said Hotaru around her smile.  She moved the camera back around and set it to record.  Then she asked, "Did you and Ami have a good first anniversary?"

            Makoto stared at the little girl slack-jawed.  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a similar surprised expression on Ami's face.  Looking around she also noticed the small, knowing smile Setsuna wore as she pretended to ignore them and set up the table, as well as the surprise turned amused smirk on Haruka's face.

            Accepting what she now considered to be the inevitability of it all, Makoto laughed and draped an arm around Ami's shoulders, pulling the surprised girl closer to her.  "Yeah, Hotaru," she answered.  "We had a very good anniversary."

*            *            *

           It didn't take long for the others to arrive at the party.  And, once Chibi-usa was there, it didn't take long for Makoto to realize how Hotaru had found out about her and Ami.  Makoto watched the two girls together and wondered how much information Hotaru was privy to.  It felt just a bit disconcerting to her to realize at that moment just how much Chibi-usa knew about all their lives when they themselves had yet to experience it.

            Those thoughts were put behind her, however, as the party was moved into full swing.  Over the next few hours, food was served, cake and ice cream were handed out, and presents were opened and joyfully exclaimed over.

            Somewhere early in, the new video camera had been passed off to Hotaru's parents.  Hotaru had kept her 35mm with her, periodically stopping to take pictures of the people around her.  It seemed she was determined to take enough shots to fill up the photo album that had been a gift from Minako.  The rolls of film that had come with it provided her nicely with enough ammunition to achieve that goal.

            Makoto stood by the snack table and poured herself another cup of soda.  Rei and Minako had pulled Ami away from her and, in helium induced squeakiness, were trying to convince the girl that sucking the air out of balloons was high entertainment.  On the floor not far from them, Hotaru, Chibi-usa, Haruka, and Usagi huddled around the game that was a present from Usagi as Michiru and Setsuna sat nearby and watched.

            Chibi-usa finished pulling another of the plastic sticks from the center of the marble filled Kerplunk cylinder.  The marbles stayed firmly in place, and the girl sighed in relief.

            It was Usagi's turn now.  The blonde's tongue poked out between her lips as she concentrated on the yellow stick between her fingertips.  Very slowly, she pulled it out.  There was a slight shift inside the cylinder, but the marbles didn't fall.  A triumphant grin spread across her face at her success, and she laid the newest stick with the few others she had already removed.

            Makoto smiled for Usagi and chuckled quietly at the show Haruka put on before taking her turn.

            Cracking her knuckles, then rubbing her palms together quickly, Haruka set to her task.  After a moment's thought, she chose a green stick and carefully began to pull it from its place.  The stick was halfway to its goal when one of the marbles slid out of place and fell to the tray below.  Haruka froze mid pull.  It was a futile effort, however.  Another marble fell, quickly followed by another and another, until all the remaining marbles came cascading down in a loud clatter.

            Haruka hung her head in defeat and sighed while pointedly ignoring Usagi and her happy gloating.

            "Aw, it's okay, Haruka-papa," said Hotaru.  She scooted over and wrapped her arms around Haruka's back.

            "Maybe I should lose more often," said Haruka quietly.  "Come 'ere you," she said as she pulled Hotaru into her lap and began to tickle the girl's ribs.

            Over Hotaru's laughter, Makoto heard another voice, slightly altered from what she usually heard.  She looked over and saw Ami, balloon in hand and cheeks reddening after her mouse like squeak.  Minako clapped her hands and begged Ami to do it again as Rei laughed lightly.

            Makoto watched her friends' antics and thought to herself that sometimes it was hard to tell who were the children and who were the adults.  With that thought came another that had been nagging at her off and on all afternoon.

            Not wanting to disturb the happy atmosphere and feeling the need to take a few moments and collect her thoughts, Makoto allowed herself to wander a bit.  Without intending it, she wound up in a dark room and stood looking out the pair of French doors that led to the backyard.

            The early evening sky was clear and littered with stars.  What little there was of the moon shone brightly.  Makoto searched for several minutes until she found the right star.

            "Hi, Mom," she said softly.  "I miss you.  I wish you could be here for all of this."  Then she smiled a bit sadly.  "And I'd love for you to tell me how I'm supposed to handle this one."

            "How about with a little help from your friends?" asked Haruka as she flipped on the light.  When Makoto turned to her, Haruka added, "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but for some reason, people start to get nervous when you disappear."

            Makoto chuckled at that, then said, "I didn't think anyone would notice so quickly.  I just wanted a few minutes to myself and wound up feeling like I should say hi to her."

            Haruka walked up beside Makoto and looked out into the sky with her.

            Makoto smiled to herself after a moment's silence.  Once upon a time, if her mother had been here when she and Haruka first met, Makoto was certain she wouldn't have done what she was about to do.  "Mom, this is my friend, Haruka.  Haruka, my mother."

            Bowing politely, Haruka responded, "I'm pleased to meet you, Kino-san.  Makoto is a very good friend, and it's my honor to know her."

            Makoto's smile widened.  "I think she likes you, though she thinks you should let your hair grow out a bit more."  She laughed lightly at the look on Haruka's face and added, "Mom always liked it when I brought my friends home.  It made her happy, I think, to know that I wanted to show her off rather than hide her."

            "I'm glad you introduced us," answered Haruka.  "And I meant what I said about being your friend.  So if you think you need to talk about something?"

            Makoto shifted a bit uneasily.  As much as she considered Haruka to be a friend, this wasn't something she felt the blonde would take well.  "Thank you," said Makoto, carefully weighing her words, "but this is something I need to talk about with someone else."

            "Someone else, huh," said Haruka with a smirk.

            Slight color rose in Makoto's cheeks.  "Yeah," she answered.  "I was going to tell you about it later tonight.  Hotaru just beat me to it."

            Haruka laughed.  "I knew something strange was going on with her when I picked her up from school on Tuesday.  When I dropped her off she was worried about you and wanted to call to make sure you were really okay," explained Haruka at the questioning look Makoto gave her.  "Then, when I picked her up, suddenly everything was fine because you 'had Ami to take care of you' and we shouldn't disturb you because you needed some 'alone time.'  Michiru is the only person who has ever used that phrase with her, and it was in regards to something very specific.  Congratulations, by the way," grinned Haruka.  "On your 'anniversary.'"

            "Thanks," answered Makoto.  "At least now I know for certain when I'm supposed to get her a gift."

            "So," nudged Haruka gently, "is this what you're out here skulking around in the dark about?"

            Makoto smiled at the older girl, seeing through her ploy.  "No," she answered.  "It's not.  Things with Ami are good.  This is the first time something like this has ever felt completely right to me.  More than that, it's fun.  It's never been fun before," she said as she turned her eyes back to the stars.

            _The difference between being used and being loved, thought Haruka.  She placed an arm casually around Makoto's shoulders.  Her grin turned teasing as she said, "Fun, hmm.  You know, Mako-chan, if you ever need any tips on different ways for the two of you to have fun…"  She waggled an eyebrow at the younger girl, then laughed as Makoto blushed a bright rose that not even Ami could rival._

*            *            *

            Makoto lifted the butterfly figurine from the bookcase and smiled at it briefly before wrapping it in several layers of newspaper and placing it in the box at her feet.  Straightening back up, she placed her hands against her back and tried to stretch out the kinks she felt forming.  She'd forgotten what a pain moving could be.  In this case, very literally.

            A second pair of hands joined Makoto's against her back.  The heels of Ami's hands kneaded gently against Makoto's sore muscles.  "How about a rest?" she said.

            "I want to finish these shelves first," answered Makoto.  "If I stop now, I'm not going to start again."  She sighed, then complained, "This is an awful lot of trouble to go through just to move between floors."

            "It will make it all easier on the other end," assured Ami.  She nodded to the books that stood alone on one of the shelves.  "I suppose I should take those home."

            Makoto frowned.  "You know, I think we should take a break from this after all.  Come and sit with me for a minute, would you?" she asked.  She then led a curious Ami over to the couch.

            When they were both seated, Makoto stated very bluntly, "I want to tell your mom."  At Ami's near panicked look, Makoto took the smaller girl's hands in hers and held them tightly.  "I don't want to force you to do something you don't think you're ready to do, and I know I said I would give you time.  I just didn't realize it would be this long.  It's been nearly a month already, and… well…"

            "I'm sorry," said Ami weakly.

            Makoto shook her head.  "No, Ami, there's no reason for you to be."  One hand reached up to gently touch Ami's cheek.  "But I've been thinking about some things, and I have reasons for wanting to do this now.  Hear me out, okay?"

            Ami nodded.  "Okay."

            Letting her hand drop back down, Makoto played their fingers together nervously as she spoke.  "First off, you're mom's been good to me.  She's one of a very few who hasn't looked down on me or treated me like a stupid kid for getting pregnant.  And, by letting you stay here all the time, she's also given me a certain amount of trust and responsibility.  It feels too much like we're running around behind her back, and I don't like feeling as if I'm betraying the trust she's put in me where you're concerned."

            Ami looked at her in surprise.  "Mako-chan…"

            A finger pressed to her lips stopped Ami from saying anything else.  "There's more, and I want you to hear all of it before you say anything."

            Ami nodded, and Makoto let her finger fall from the other girl's lips.

            "I started thinking about this when we were at Hotaru's party," continued Makoto.  "It kept nagging at me then, but I wanted some time to think before I said anything to you.  Thing is, I didn't realize just how little time I have to deal with this, and with the move in only two weeks, it's all creeping up on me fast.  So, I guess now is as good a time as any to bring it up.  You see, what kept bugging me was that, other than Chibi-usa, there were no children at that party."

             Ami's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.  "I hadn't realized that, honestly," she said slowly, thinking back to that afternoon.  "Everything seemed to be the way it normally is when we're all together, so I didn't really think about it."

            Makoto nodded.  "You wouldn't, because for us, that was normal.  But for anyone looking in from the outside, it wasn't.  Very little about that situation is.  And she doesn't have any friends, Ami," said Makoto sadly.  "For all that Hotaru goes to school, and swim class, and art class, and gymnastics, she didn't have a single normal friend at that party to sing to her or play games and make a ruckus the way they did at my ninth birthday party.  And I can't stop wondering why."

            "Mako-chan," said Ami as she gently stilled Makoto's nervous fingers in her own, "Hotaru can be a very shy child at times.  That's part of the reason they have her in so many activities.  And keep in mind," added Ami with a small, self-conscious grin, "not all of us had people outside our families at our birthday parties."

            "I suppose so," answered Makoto, giving Ami's hands a squeeze.  "But I couldn't help feeling like there was something wrong with it, regardless of how happy she seemed.  Like maybe Hotaru had figured out that her parents don't fit into the standard definition of normal, and she was too embarrassed by them to bring her friends around.  But the more I thought about that," said Makoto, a low chuckle issuing from her throat, "the more I realized how not true it is.  I've never met a little girl more adoring of her parents.  That led me to something else.

            "What if it wasn't her?" asked Makoto.  "What if the other kids know her family is different and avoid her for it?  Or maybe it's their parents who are saying things or just not letting their children play with her or go to her house.  Hotaru shouldn't be treated any differently from anyone else just because of who and what her parents are.  That isn't fair to her.  And it isn't going to be fair to Bug," concluded Makoto quietly.

            Ami's insides were doing flip flops.  It must have shown on her face, Ami thought, because Makoto reached up and lightly began running her fingers through her hair.  Some stray pieces were tucked carefully behind Ami's ear in a gesture she felt was supposed to be reassuring.

            "Bug's never going to be a normal little kid, Ami," said Makoto softly.  "How can he be when his mom's a 17-year-old, lesbian Sailor Senshi who has to leave him with a babysitter in the middle of the night to go blast youma with the Moon Princess?  Especially when his other mom is the exact same thing."

            Ami startled at that, and Makoto laughed.

            "He's got a kabillion aunts.  He doesn't need another one," said Makoto.  "Besides, I can tell that's what you want by the way you talk about him.  Admit it, Ami, you like the idea of a little person running around calling you 'Mama.'" 

            Through a shy smile, Ami said, "Ami-mama.  It will make things less confusing."

            "Ami-mama," Makoto repeated with a grin.  "I like it.  It's cute."

            A slight blush added to the shy smile Ami already wore.

            "I need to do things right for him, Ami," said Makoto.  "If I can't give him normal, then I have to at least try for stable."  She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.  Looking Ami in the eyes, she continued, "I don't want you to take your books home unless home is the new apartment.  I want you to move in with me.  For real this time.  No more playing house and pretending until it's time for you to go back to your mom's.  I love you, and I think we can do this."

            For a moment, Ami sat, feeling slightly overwhelmed by it all.  Then she shifted so she was on her knees on the couch.  Her arms wrapped around Makoto's neck, her forehead resting against Makoto's as her eyes closed.  She stayed like that for several minutes, finding peace and comfort in Makoto's arms, which had gone around her waist to hold her.

            "I'm afraid to tell her," admitted Ami.  "I don't know why.  I just am."

            Makoto's hold tightened a fraction.  "I'll be there with you if you want," she said softly.  "You don't have to face her alone."

            "This weekend," replied Ami.  "She has off, and I was planning on spending some time there."

            Makoto tugged on Ami until the girl slid onto her lap.  Ami's head rested against Makoto's chest.  She listened to Makoto's heartbeat as the taller girl cradled Ami against her and whispered soft reassurances.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ami began to feel the pressure of time Makoto had been talking about.  Suddenly, the four days she had until the weekend seemed incredibly small and insignificant.


	15. Out in the Open pt 3

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

15.  Out in the Open – pt 3

            Ami sat at her mother's table and nervously pushed the food around on her plate.  She listened as Makoto struggled to keep up the small talk and marveled at the girl's ability.  Only Makoto's closest friends would have noticed the strain in her voice.  Ami, for her part, could barely make eye contact with her mother, let alone hold up any conversation.  Beyond hello, she hadn't said much of anything since arriving at the house, and she knew it was making her mother suspicious.

            There was a lull in the conversation.  The only sounds Ami could hear were her own breathing and the slight clanking of the silverware as it touched the plates.  Those sounds, coupled with the quick, furtive glances her mother kept throwing her, pushed Ami's tension level over the edge.  Her fork fell to her plate as she closed her eyes as tightly as she could and took a deep breath.  Then, in one swift exhale, "For the last month, Mako-chan and I have been intimately involved, and when she moves next weekend, I want to go with her."

            Everything stopped and went completely silent.  Ami slowly opened her eyes to see both her mother and Makoto staring at her in disbelief.  Makoto's mouth hung open slightly, her eyes wider than they had been a few minutes ago.  Kaya's eyes, on the other hand, had narrowed, and her mouth had formed into a tight line.  Then her gaze turned slowly from Ami to Makoto.

            Makoto shifted uneasily.  "Well," she said, putting on a nervous grin, "that's not exactly how I would have put it, but…"

            Using very controlled motions, Kaya set her utensils down on her plate.  Placing her napkin neatly beside it, she said coolly, "I see.  Well, I think this meal is over.  I'd like for the two of you to join me in the living room, please."  Kaya then got up and left the table without looking at either girl.

            Makoto smiled weakly at Ami.  "That could have been worse.  At least she didn't yell."

            "My mother doesn't yell," answered Ami, swallowing the nervousness she felt rising in her stomach.  "Come on," she said as she stood.  "We don't want to keep her waiting."

            Makoto slipped her fingers around Ami's as they walked the short distance to the living room.  She squeezed them briefly before letting go when they reached their destination.  Pausing there in the doorway, Makoto was uncertain how to interpret what she saw before her.

            Kaya slowly paced back and forth in the living room, her hands clasped behind her back.  She stopped when she saw Ami and Makoto, and waved them over to the couch.

            When the girls were seated, Kaya said calmly, "Before I say anything else, I want to get this out of the way.  Ami, you should already know this, but I'm going to say it anyway.  I love you, and that will never change no matter what you do.  Makoto, I have nothing but respect for you and how you've handled yourself with everything you've been through.  That being said, I think the two of you can understand why I have some issues with this."

            "Mizuno-san," said Makoto quickly, standing and bowing before the woman, "if you'll allow me?"  When Kaya nodded, Makoto continued, "I know the situation I want to bring Ami into looks bad, and that there isn't really anything I can say to make it seem better to you.  All I can tell you is that I love Ami.  I have for a long time, and I can take care of her properly if you'll allow me to."

            "You love her," repeated Kaya, her tone questioning.  "You've loved her so much and for so long that as soon as she went away you slept with someone else without giving it a second thought?"

            "Mom!" said Ami, horrified that her mother would say such a thing.

            "No, Ami," said Makoto, stopping the other girl from saying anything more.  "Your mother has the right to question this."  Her fists were clenching at her sides, and it was obvious she was fighting to control her temper in the face of what she felt was a personal attack.  Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Makoto went on, "I wasn't with Ami then.  I wouldn't have done it if I had been.  You see, at the time, I was looking for something, and I thought maybe I could find it with him.  It was a mistake, one that I've made before.  Partly it was because I was never comfortable with how I felt, and I didn't think anyone else would be either, so I tried to make it go away.  I never thought I'd be given a chance to find what I was looking for with Ami.  I'm sorry that I hurt her with what I did, but I didn't know how she felt then.  That may not be much of an excuse, but it's the only one I have.  And whether I deserve it or not, Ami has forgiven me.  And, for what it's worth, I really do love her."

            Kaya carefully studied the girl before her for several moments, then said, "I'd like to speak with Ami alone, please."

            Makoto looked nervously at Ami, then back to Kaya.  She nodded, then offered a polite bow to the woman before leaving the room.

            When they were alone, Kaya looked down to her daughter.  The poor girl looked like she was waiting for the executioner's ax to fall.  Then Kaya realized that Ami was, in a sense, and it bothered her greatly to be looked at as the one wielding it.

            Without meaning to, Kaya began a slow trek back and forth in front of her daughter.  "I've heard what Makoto had to say, and I know what she wants," said Kaya.  "Now I need to know what you want, Ami.  And I need for you to be completely honest with me."  She stopped moving and stood with her arms crossed over her chest, not realizing at all how intimidating it made her seem.

            Hands wringing in her lap, Ami looked up at her mother and said in a small voice, "I want her."  She looked down quickly, her cheeks warming at an uncomfortable subject.  "I love her and want to be with her.  The baby as well.  I want them to be part of my family.  To do that, I need to be there with them, but not as a visitor or friend or even as Mako-chan's girlfriend.  I need to be there all the time, not just because Mako-chan needs me, but because Miki will also.  It still sounds a bit strange to say this, but it feels right when I do.  I need to be there as a parent, Mom.  I can't do it properly if I'm living somewhere else."

            "As a parent," repeated Kaya slowly.  Her fingers came up to pinch the bridge of her nose.  "I think I need to sit down," she said as she moved unsteadily to the couch.

            "Mom, please try to understand," pleaded Ami.

            Kaya looked at her child, a small, gentle smile forming on her lips.  "Sweetheart, I do understand," she said softly.  "I understand that you love her, and that right now because of that you feel like you need to be with her every second of every day.  I also understand that the kind of love you feel blinds you to all of someone's faults and all of the problems that may come up from becoming involved in a relationship like this."  Kaya reached over a placed a hand over Ami's.  "Ami, you've only been with her like this for one month.  That's barely a drop in the bucket compared to the sort of commitment you want to take on.  I'm afraid the two of you don't fully comprehend that."

            Kaya stood suddenly and began to pace once again.  "What you are suggesting is, essentially, a marriage.  It's hard enough when two fully grown adults try to make it work.  The two of you are still in high school, and with the baby…  It just makes the odds that much worse, because babies, as much as we may love them, don't always make things better.  More often than not, they just make things harder."

            Stopping a few feet from Ami, Kaya turned to her daughter.  "Now, understand that I don't have a problem with you wanting to see each other.  I'm fond of Makoto, and if you're willing to accept the situation the way it is, then I won't try to tell you not to.  However, anything beyond that, at the moment, I can't agree to.  Finish high school first.  Spend some time getting to know each other as a couple and everything that entails, and if you still want this at that point, I'll give you my consent."

            Ami shook her head almost imperceptibly.  Then, surprising both her mother and herself, stood and said, "No."  Taking a breath and pushing forward before Kaya could recover, Ami went on, "Graduation is over a year away.  The baby is due in three months.  I admit that we may not completely understand what it's going to be like after he's born or what it's going to be like for us together with him, but we'll figure things out.  But to do that, I need to be there now."

            "You can still be there, Ami," returned Kaya, moving a bit closer to Ami.  "I just want you to take a step back and really see the situation you're walking into.  Give it some time so that you're absolutely certain this is what you want so you don't have any regrets later on."

            "I'm already certain of what I want," said Ami, her voice gaining strength in desperation.  "The only regret I could and do have in any of this is missed time.  If I wait until I finish school, an entire year of Miki's life will have passed.  If someone had told you to take a step back after I was born and to wait a year to decide if you really wanted me, what would you have done?"

            "It's not the same thing, Ami," answered Kaya.

            "It is to me," replied Ami.  "Miki is my son.  If I lose that year with him, I won't ever get it back.  Makoto will wait for me if she has to.  She'll even understand why you want us to slow things down a bit.  But how can I explain to my son that I had to spend a whole year trying to decide if I wanted him or not?"

            Kaya sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair.  "Oh, Ami," she said quietly as she stepped forward and took her daughter into a loose hug.  As Ami's arms slowly came up to return the hug, Kaya rested her chin on top of Ami's head and said, "I just don't want you to get hurt.  You are my only concern in all of this, Ami.  I want you to be happy, but I don't want you to lose yourself in the moment.  You had so many plans for your future.  Have you even considered what you're going to do about college?  You used to talk about going abroad to study.  You even had all the best places picked out for each field you were interested in.  Do you understand how much of that you'll have to give up if you take this on?"

           Ami pulled back so she could see her mother's face, but didn't completely release her.  "I think I'm gaining more than I'm giving up," she said.  "Besides, I decided some time ago, even before Mako-chan, that I wanted to stay here and go to school.  Some of the best schools in the country are right here in my own backyard, and I hardly consider attending them as settling for something less.  Plus, my friends are all here, as well as my family," said Ami, smiling up at her mother.  "I don't want to leave any of them.  And you know you don't have to worry about Mako-chan ever forcing me to stay or trying to keep me from doing something I want.  If she thought I wasn't happy or truly wanted to study someplace far away, she would likely take me down to the pier and put me on the next boat out herself."

            Returning the smile Ami was giving her with just a bit of sadness, Kaya said, "You're still supposed to be a little girl, you know.  I feel like I've missed a step somewhere."

            "I think we've all been feeling a bit like that lately," replied Ami.

            Kaya held Ami's gaze for several seconds longer, then slowly nodded.  "Okay, Ami.  Okay."  She sighed.  "Before anything else happens, the three of us need to sit down and talk.  There are some things I want made clear before I actually agree to this."  Kaya couldn't help but smile at the huge grin that lit up Ami's face.  She added, "But we're going to do it after I clean up the dinner dishes.  I need some time to digest all of this for myself."

            Ami hugged her mother tightly then.  "Thank you," she said happily.

            Kaya chuckled.  "Don't thank me just yet.  I still get to try and scare off your girlfriend with evil glances and stories of your childhood."

            Makoto stood in the hallway leaning against the wall.  She tilted her head back and blew air nervously through her lips.  It was too quiet in the living room.  The lack of yelling made her more anxious than she would have been if Ami and her mother had started fighting.  At least if they had gotten loud, she would be able to hear what was going on.

            Footsteps pulled Makoto out of her thoughts, and she stood straight as Kaya and Ami appeared.  Makoto licked her lips as they approached her.

            Kaya stepped up to Makoto, and, after a second, gave the girl a gentle smile.  "The three of us are going to have a long talk.  But I think we all need to take a few minutes to catch our breath first."  She reached up and patted Makoto's cheek lightly, then headed back towards the dining room.

            Makoto watched Kaya as she left, then turned to Ami, confusion on her face.

            Ami smiled at her girlfriend.  "It's okay, Mako-chan.  Mom's worried about some things, but she'll say yes."  Ami moved forward and put her arms around Makoto's waist in a hug.

            Relaxing at the feeling of having Ami near her, Makoto returned the hug.  She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths as she held her love close.  Quietly she said, "I was beginning to think I'd done the wrong thing by insisting we tell your mom.  I don't know what I'd do if she tried to take you away from me."

            Ami pulled back a bit and smiled up at Makoto.  When the other girl returned it, she said, "Don't worry, Mako-chan.  That isn't going to happen.  Mom isn't going to do that.  No one is."

            Makoto pulled Ami back to her and stood just holding her.  She kissed the top of Ami's head and rested her cheek against the softness of Ami's hair.  She felt safe like this, and for the first time in her life, Makoto began to think that maybe Fate wasn't so cruel after all.

*            *            *

            Shifting her bag more comfortably on her shoulder, Kaya knocked firmly on the apartment door.  The lateness of the hour made the sound seem unnaturally loud in the stillness of the corridor, and she cringed slightly at the dull echo.

            Ken answered the door a minute later, a novel in his hand and bookmarked with a finger.  He smiled when he saw her.  "Hi," he said.

            "Hi," Kaya answered.  "I thought you might like some company."

            "Always," replied Ken as he moved aside for her to enter, taking her overnight bag from her as she did.  "I thought Ami was going to be home tonight," he said as they moved into the livingroom.

            "So did I," said Kaya.  "She and Makoto came by for dinner, but they had other plans for the evening."  She chuffed lightly and turned to Ken with a smirk on her face.  "They're sleeping together."

            Surprise crossed Ken's features.  "They?  Ami and Makoto?"

            Kaya nodded.

            "Are we still guessing?" he asked.  "Or do we know for certain this time?"

            "They came by tonight specifically to tell me that," Kaya answered.  She sat on the couch, folding her arms and resting them on her knees.  "Well, not **_exactly that, but that they're together.  Better yet, when Makoto moves into her new apartment Ami wants to move in with her so they can raise the baby together."_**

            "Sounds like you had an eventful night," said Ken as he came to sit beside her.  "Are you going to allow it?"

            "Yes," answered Kaya.  "I wasn't going to, and there's still a part of me that feels like this is too much, too fast.  But you should have seen them tonight.  When I told Ami I wanted her to wait, she fought me.  I shouldn't be happy about that.  I should be even less happy that it's Makoto's influence that led to it.  But it feels almost good to see something akin to a little teenage rebellion in her finally."  She sighed and turned to Ken, worry marring her features.  Quietly she asked, "Did I make a mistake?"

            Ken reached over and placed a hand on Kaya's back.  He began stoking gently as he said, "I can't answer that for you.  But I can say that I know you well enough to know that you don't make decisions lightly and that you always have a good reason for what you do."

            "Makoto was very honest with me about things when we talked," replied Kaya after several seconds of thought.  She leaned back and let her head fall against the top of the couch.  "I think she was a lonely child who grew into a confused teenager.  While I'd prefer her confusion didn't involve my daughter, I do think she's begun to deal with it in a healthy manner.  And while I may have initially been concerned about her motives, I believe her when she says she loves Ami.  I told you before I thought Makoto seemed very protective of her.  That's still there, and I can see it even more clearly than before.  It makes me trust her, even if I do have a few concerns with it all.  But they have a chance to make this work for them.  I don't want to be the one that takes that chance away.  And as long as we're all on good terms with things, I can be there to keep an eye on them.  Make sure Ami doesn't make the same mistakes I did."

            A slow smile began to form on Kaya's lips.  "I remember once, when Ami was a little girl, she told me that when she grew up she wanted a large family with lots of children.  At the time, I took it as a veiled request for siblings.  However she meant it, it looks like that's what she's getting now," said Kaya as she sat forward and turned on the couch so she was facing Ken.  She held her hands up in front of her, about two inches apart.  "Because the way I figure it, one little version of Makoto is going to be the equivalent of about three of any other child."  She laughed lightly as she moved her hands further apart.  "They're going to have their hands full with that little boy.  And Ami is completely wrapped up in being his mother."

            At that, an odd looked crossed Kaya's face.  It was if she'd just remembered something or realized some detail and it had left her seemingly confused.  Slowly, she said, "My little girl is going to be someone's mother.  In a few months she's going to have a son, and I'm going to be that child's grandmother."  Kaya closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, a hand coming up to rub at her temple.  "Never mind what I said about Ami being too young for all of this.  **_I'm too young for this.  I'm only 43.  I can't be someone's grandmother."_**

            A deep chuckle greeted her actions, and Kaya opened one eye partway to glare at the man sitting across from her.

            "Uh, hello, Mr. Sensitive," said Kaya through a scowl.  "This isn't the part where you start laughing at me.  This is the part where you take me in your arms and tell me I'm overreacting and that I am most definitely not old."

            Ken's smile widened as he reached forward to pull Kaya against him.  "Better?" he asked as she settled against his chest.

            "Much," she answered.

            "Now let's see," he teased.  "I've been told this is where I'm supposed to tell you you're overreacting.  Experience, however, leads me to believe that would be a bad move.  So, instead," said Ken as he put a finger under Kaya's chin and tilted her head so she was looking up at him, "I'm just going to say that you aren't old.  Even if you were, you'd still be the most beautiful woman I know."  He leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

            They parted, each wearing a happy grin.  Kaya turned and lay back so her head was resting in Ken's lap.  As Ken adjusted slightly and rested his feet up on the coffee table, Kaya took one of his hands in hers.  She spent several minutes just playing with his hand, matching their palms together, twining and untwining their fingers.

            Finally, she wondered absently, "I wonder if this is how my mother felt when I put her through all of this?  I should give my parents a call; let them know what's going on.  I'm honestly not sure how they're going to take it, and it will be easier on Ami if I break it to them first.  You know, I think I know, now, why my mom laughed when she found out I'd had a girl.  'She's going to be just like you,'" said Kaya with a chuckle as she remembered that moment.

            Ken looked down at her, glad to see her smiling, and brought her hands up to his lips.  He kissed them lightly, and when Kaya turned her smile solely to him, he said quietly, "Marry me."

            Kaya sighed almost wearily and shook her head at the old proposal.  "I can only handle one life-crisis at a time, Ken.  And today my daughter beat you to it."

            His free hand stroking the hair that framed Kaya's face, Ken replied, "All right, you get off the hook this time.  But I'm going to get you to say yes one of these days, Mizuno Kaya.  You haven't got any more excuses."

            "She hasn't moved out yet," replied Kaya.  Then, changing moods, she said cloyingly as she began playing with the buttons on the front of Ken's shirt, "Speaking of Ami moving, do you have any plans for next Sunday?"

            "Nothing concrete," answered Ken.

            "Would right now be a very bad time to ask for a favor?"

            Ken pushed a lock of hair behind Kaya's ear.  "You can ask," he said.

            "Well, the girls have planned the move for next Sunday," began Kaya.  "Now, far be it from me to ever tell them they can't do something simply because they're female.  In all honesty, though, they're a bunch of girls, and they can't move an entire apartment by themselves.  I considered hiring someone to help, but I'm afraid Makoto would see it more as interference and lack of trust than anything helpful.  She's very proud, and they've planned everything out very carefully.  I don't want to step on any toes this early in the game.

            "So I was thinking," went on Kaya as she continued to toy with the front of Ken's shirt, "if you offered to help me move Ami's things over to the new apartment, when we got there you could very gallantly offer to help move some of the other things as well.  I figure between you and Haruka we should be able to get most of the heavier furniture moved.  The rest of the girls can handle everything else.  Except for Makoto, of course.  She can't lift anything heavier than a shoebox, and she won't even be doing that if Ami has her way."

            Ken thought for a second, then said, "All right, I'll help.  But on one condition."

            Kaya looked at him suspiciously.  "And that would be?"

            "Go away with me for a few days."  He put a finger to her lips to stop the protest he saw coming.  "I know you have the time, Kaya.  You need to take a real vacation, one that has nothing to do with any kind of work.  The girls can last a few days without you.  And believe it or not, so can the hospital."  He smirked at the look that got him, and pushed forward.  "So, sometime in the next six months, you have to take a vacation with me.  That, or you'll be lifting furniture by yourself next weekend."

            Kaya nipped playfully at the finger resting on her lips.  "Fine," she answered.  "But not until I'm certain the girls are properly settled in."

            Ken nodded his agreement.  "That's all I'm asking, Love."

            Admitting a small defeat, but not minding at all, Kaya resettled herself as Ken's fingers continued to move gently through her hair.  Her eyes were beginning to droop when she noticed the novel lying beside Ken's feet.  She hadn't seen the title when he'd met her at the door, but now that she could, her interest was piqued.

            "When did you pick this up?" asked Kaya as she reached over and picked up the book.  "I thought the new one didn't come out until next week."

            "Got it on the way home tonight," answered Ken.  "Looks like it's going to be even more twisted than the last one, if you can believe that."

            Kaya smiled at him sweetly.  "I don't suppose I could convince you start over again, could I?"

            "Possibly," replied Ken.

            "How about if I throw in some hot chocolate?"

            "Then I can't refuse."

            "Great," said Kaya as she got up off the couch.  "I'll make the hot chocolate.  You go get comfortable.  And since it's my turn to read first, I'll just hold on to this."

            Ken chuckled as Kaya hurried off with his novel.  Before retiring to the bedroom, he listened for a moment as Kaya puttered around in the kitchen, opening and closing cabinet doors and fixing the kettle to boil water.  The knowledge of her presence alone left him with a warm and comfortable feeling, and if he could only have her for a night at a time, then he would be happy with that.  But one of these days he was going to convince her that a more permanent arrangement was better for both of them, regardless of schedules, families, or past mistakes.  


	16. Fairy Tales for the Modern Girl pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"  
By Crawlspace 

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

* * *

_Chapter 16: Fairy Tales for the Modern Girl – pt 1_

Taking a few steps back, Rei surveyed her handiwork with a critical eye. After a moment's contemplation, she smiled and nodded to herself in approval. With the low table in her room set exactly the way she wanted it, she set about putting on the finishing touches.

As she placed a few candles at odd places around the room, she ran through the list of things she still needed to do before Minako arrived. Everything was pretty much done, with the exception of getting ready herself.

A few little touches and adjustments, followed by a quick look around, and Rei was satisfied. This was going to be a good Valentine's Day all around.

She grabbed the things she needed and headed for the shower. If the afternoon had gone according to plan, Minako would be shopping with Usagi right at that moment. This part of the plan accomplished two things at once. One, it would keep Usagi occupied and hopefully from feeling lonely while the love of her life spent the holiday on the other side of the ocean. Two, it would keep Minako busy long enough for her to set things up for the evening.

Rei turned on the water and let it heat up as she undressed. As she did, she took a moment to wonder how Ami and Makoto were doing. With the move tomorrow, the entire apartment had been boxed up and stripped down to the bones. But Rei was certain they were planning something to celebrate their first Valentine's Day together. With a grin, she wondered if Makoto would ever find out it was indirectly because of her that she and Minako even had something to celebrate.

If someone were to ask Minako, she would probably give a different answer for when it had all started for them. Rei knew, though, the exact moment when she'd begun to see Minako just a bit differently...

That night a few years ago, the study group had broken up later than usual. As the others said goodbye and filtered out of the shrine, Minako had lingered behind. Rei knew why the blonde was there, too. She wanted to talk about "it" again.

It had been weeks since "it" – the incident with Makoto and Haruka – had happened. Usagi had lost interest and moved on to newer and better gossip. Ami… Well, Ami was another matter, and one not to be discussed. Rei, herself, was perfectly happy to let the subject drop, especially since Makoto seemed to be back to her normal self. Minako, though, just couldn't seem to let it go.

"Not again, Minako," complained Rei as she fell back onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling rather than the blonde seated on her floor. "If you want to talk about Mako-chan then talk about that ballplayer she was stalking all last Saturday. Better yet, let's not talk about her at all, because if she ever catches us gossiping about her, she'll kill us."

"But…" tried Minako once again, only to be cut off by Rei.

"No," said Rei with a sharp wave of her hand. She sat up on her bed. "What makes you still think it was a crush, anyway? I thought we decided it was just a flukie thing, or some strange alignment of the stars, or something. And anyway, Mako-chan's the most boy-centric person I know. Well, except for maybe you," she added with a smirk.

Minako, ignoring that last comment as well as the smirk on Rei's face, waved a hand dismissively at her friend. "I never said Mako-chan wasn't. But it still could have been a crush like the ones she always gets. It is possible, you know, to find a girl attractive and still like boys. For example, I think you're attractive. That doesn't mean I'm going to swear off boys for the rest of my life."

Caught off guard by that, Rei blinked in surprise. "You… you think I'm attractive?" she questioned.

"Yeah," answered Minako with a shrug. "Come on, Rei, it's not like you have any image issues. You know you look good."

"Sure," replied Rei. "I just wasn't expecting you to say it, that's all."

Minako tilted her head and looked pointedly at Rei. "You're not going to go all weird on me now just because I said you were pretty, are you?"

Rei shook her head and laughed. "Course not." Then, after a moment's thought, "I've got something I want to show you."

As Rei got up off the bed and went over to her closet, she smiled both at Minako's happy curiosity and the pleasantness she suddenly felt at having the girl there with her. And it all came from one innocent comment on Minako's part.

She could count on one hand the number of people who had told her she was pretty and honestly meant it. Cut that in half, and you had the ones who'd said it without expecting anything in return. Minako could now be counted as one of those precious few, and while it had been said off-handedly, with nothing expected back, Rei felt she wanted to reciprocate somehow.

She was half inside her closet, moving things aside and out of her way, when she decided to amend her decision to show these things to Minako. Leaning back so she could look out around the doorway, Rei said, "Before I show this to you, you have to swear on your life that you won't tell anyone about it. If you do, you're toast."

Minako grinned and traced an X over her heart. "Cross my heart. Now hurry up and show me," she said as she bounced excitedly in her seat.

"Patience," said Rei. "I've got this stuff buried so far back in here not even Usagi can find it. Ah ha!" came a triumphant shout from the back of the closet. She carefully emerged holding two binders and a clear, plastic shoebox. "You can't laugh at me either," she warned as she set the objects down in front of Minako.

"Okay, okay, just gimme," said Minako as she took what was placed in front of her.

Getting a clear view of the binders, Minako's eyes lit up in amusement as she recognized the pictures on the front. One was Sailor V winking and doing her trademark pose. The other was a copy of one of the Sailor V game posters. A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she opened the first binder and turned the pages, seeing all the Sailor V trading cards. When Rei opened the shoebox and dumped out all its contents, including key chains, pencil boards, and stickers all with various Sailor V images, Minako bit her lip hard. But then she saw the little figure lying on its side. Rei righted the figure and tapped its oversized head, setting it to bob up and down and sideways. That was when Minako lost it.

The blonde let loose with an amused burst of laughter. Tears leaking from her eyes, she clutched her sides as the mini Sailor V grinned and bobbed its head at her. She laughed even harder when Rei shot her an unhappy scowl.

Rei picked up one of the smaller pillows from the floor and threw it at her soon-to-be-former friend. "Hmph, see if I ever show you anything ever again."

Minako calmed a bit and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry," she managed to get out between giggles. "But all of this… wow! I don't even have half of this stuff. Where did you get it all?"

Rei grinned as she opened the second binder. Inside were manga safely sealed away in protective covers. "I started collecting most of this before I found out I was Mars. Sailor V was the big thing, and the book store at the mall was having a free autograph session to advertise the new manga. I've just been picking stuff up here and there ever since then. You'd be amazed at how much some of this stuff is actually worth," she said as she turned to the last plastic page in the binder and showed it to Minako.

Minako took the binder and stared in amazement at what she saw. "An autographed, limited edition, first print? How?"

"I have my ways," said Rei with a self satisfied grin.

"But they only released these in England," said Minako. "I had everyone I knew combing every shop from Soho to Berkshire and we couldn't find even one, let alone being able to get an autograph." She started to lift the flap on the cover only to have it snatched away by Rei.

"Oh, no, you don't," said Rei as she held the binder protectively to her. "I was only able to get one copy this time, and it cost me almost a month's allowance to have it imported. This one is for safe storage only. If you want to look at one, take one of the 'look at' copies from the shoebox."

Minako smiled and went back to the trading cards. "I never knew you were such a big fan," she said teasingly as she flipped through a few pages of foils and hologram cards.

Rei's cheeks reddened just a little. Ignoring the heat she felt in her face and the cute-but-annoying grin on Minako's, she said, "I'm only missing three cards from that set. I lost interest for a while after we started fighting youma for real. Then you showed up, and, after a while, I realized you were just one of us. Now all the pictures go up there," she said as she pointed to a photo album on her desk shelf. Then she picked up a key chain of Sailor V blowing a kiss and twirled it on her finger. "But I wouldn't be a proper fangirl if I'd lost interest altogether. Besides, some of this stuff is just too cute. But I suppose you'd say that with a model as cute as you, how could it not be?"

Rei started to laugh, but was stunned into silence as Minako leaned forward. She froze completely as Minako's lips touched gently against her cheek. It was a light touch, brief and barely there.

"For my number one fan," said Minako softly against Rei's cheek, her breath brushing the spot her lips had just abandoned. Then she sat back and laughed quietly as she pulled the binder of trading cards back into her lap.

It had been such a simple thing on the surface, Rei thought as she focused back on the present and her rapidly cooling shower. She shut off the water and stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel as she did.

Minako had gone home a few hours later that night, after some more teasing about Rei's newfound status as a Sailor V fangirl. She had kept her word and not said anything about the collection of paraphernalia, other than the occasional private joke. As for the kiss, well, it was just a kiss, nothing more and nothing less. And while there were a few moments when Rei's imagination would call up the feeling it had inspired in her, she never honestly imagined anything more would come of it.

In the months following, their lives had gone on the way they always did. One enemy was defeated and, before they'd had any time to catch their breaths from that battle, a new one had appeared. But, looking back, Rei couldn't find it in herself to complain about that particular enemy too harshly. After all, it was those two idiots from the Dead Moon Circus and their involvement with Minako that had led to their very first date...

"All different kinds of experiences" was what Minako had said to them back then as she assured her friends she was okay. There was something in her eyes, though, that made Rei doubt the smile and overly cheerful voice. She wondered if the others could see it as well, or if Minako had the mask so firmly in place no one could see around it.

These thoughts were nagging her still, two days later, as she ran at a steady clip along the jogging path at the park. Granted, Minako had set herself up for a fall this time by two-timing them, but it just didn't seem fair that the only dates she had been asked out on in months were little more than excuses to get at her dream mirror. To make matters worse, she had really seemed to like them both on some level. Rei wondered if those two had felt anything for Minako at all. But then, how could they not?

Minako was a beautiful person, Rei mused, and not just on the surface. Admittedly, she could be trying on the patience at times, but her intentions were always good. If her friends were ever sick or sad, Minako would be the first one there trying to help them or make them feel better. Rei grimaced as she remembered some of those disastrous attempts to help. But at least the girl had tried. It was about time someone did the same for her.

Not two minutes later, Rei stopped and stared across the pond. She nearly laughed at the timing and coincidence of it all, because there was Minako. She was sitting on a bench by the pond, idly tossing in pebbles and watching as the ripples spread and dissipated. Even from a distance, Rei could see the slight frown and quiet melancholy that surrounded the girl. That was when the idea first struck.

_Well,_ thought Rei, _when you know something needs to be done, do it yourself rather than pushing it onto someone else and complaining because it doesn't get done right._

She made her way around the pond, staying on the jogging path as long as she could. It surprised her to realize how much she was liking this idea of hers. It surprised her as well to realize how nervous the thought of it was making her feel.

Quietly coming up behind Minako, Rei rested her arms against the back of the bench and asked, "Hey, Beautiful. What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in the park on a Sunday afternoon?"

Minako startled at the sudden intrusion on her thoughts. She turned, an unhappy look on her face. Then, when she saw who it was, her frown was replaced with a curious smile. "Geez, Rei, you scared me sneaking up like that. And what's with the pick-up line? You practicing for the next time you see Yuichiro?" she teased.

Rei smirked as she answered, "Like I'd even have to practice for that."

Minako giggled, and Rei felt her courage go up a notch.

Effecting as casual an air as she could considering how fast her heart was beating and how sweaty her palms suddenly felt, Rei said, "Actually, I was hoping that line would work without any practice. But since that doesn't seem to be the case…" She looked down, searching the ground until she spotted a small cluster of brightly colored flowers. She leaned down and picked one from the bunch, holding it out to Minako. "Aino Minako, I would like it very much if you would join me for dinner tonight."

Minako's face first showed surprise as her eyes went wide. Then those same blue eyes went all dewy as she smiled and took the flower. "How did you know? Did Artemis tell you?" she asked.

That wasn't the response Rei was expecting. "Um… know what? I haven't seen Artemis in a few days."

Still smiling, Minako shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important. Are you really asking me out, like on a date?"

Rei nodded. "Yeah. So, how about it? Would you like to go out with me tonight?"

Minako's smile got even wider. "How could I refuse a request from my number one fan? What time are you going to pick me up?"

Rei laughed lightly. "How about three hours from now? That should give us enough time to get ready."

Minako nodded in agreement, then leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Rei's cheek before rising from the bench. "I'll see you in a bit," she said as she started to walk away. She'd taken about ten steps when she stopped and turned back to Rei. "Where are we going? I need to know what to wear."

Rei actually look chagrined as she admitted, "I actually haven't thought that far ahead. But I think I have an idea. Wear that blue dress. The pale one with the short sleeves. That'll be perfect."

With a nod and a wave, Minako hurried back on her way, leaving behind a now very happy Rei.

Pulling from her closet the little black dress she'd selected for their Valentine's dinner, Rei thought 'happy' was way too inadequate a word to describe how she felt at having Minako share her life the way she now did.

The peach colored rose sitting in a vase on the table caught her attention as she began to dress. She had shown up on Minako's doorstep with one nestled in baby's breath and tied with a thin, red ribbon the night of their first date. She remembered with warm fondness the way Minako had smiled at her for it…

That happy smile had lasted all night as they ate and talked. As the hours passed, Rei saw that unhappy 'something' in Minako's eyes fade away to be replaced by a sparkle that was closer to her true self. When Minako laughed, it sounded natural and genuine rather than forced the way it had been the last few days.

As they walked home together, Minako had reached over and laced their fingers together. The miko could still remember the jolt she'd felt at that contact, and she was certain that move was what gave her the push to do what she had twenty minutes later as the two stood outside Minako's apartment building.

"I'm not going to be able to do this when we get upstairs," said Rei as they stood outside the main entrance.

No one was around, the only light coming from a dim globe on the wall of the building. In that pale, sulfurous glow, Rei could see Minako looking at her with curiosity. Taking a deep breath, she leaned in slowly and caught Minako's lips with her own. She felt Minako startle, then quickly relax into the touch. Minako's hands came to rest on Rei's hips as she returned the kiss, her lips parting slightly to allow Rei greater access to her mouth. Her fingers began to rhythmically grip against Rei as their tongues met and caressed, exploring each other's taste and feel.

After a few minutes, Rei pulled back from the kiss with a gentle tug to Minako's bottom lip. She noted with some small amusement how Minako's mouth tried to follow her own rather than allow it to break the kiss.

When Minako opened her eyes, they were just a bit dazed. Rei could relate, and she raised her fingers to stroke Minako's soft cheek. "Come on. Let's get you inside before your parents start to worry."

Minako nodded and followed Rei into the building. Rei walked her to her door and said goodnight to Minako's parents before leaving. And that had been that. Or so she had thought.

Over the course of time, Minako would tell her how she had tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep for all the confusion she felt. She would also be told how Minako had run through every possibility and scenario her brain could think of for the events of that date and the emotions they were bringing to the surface. And she would be told, with a pleased smile, of the determination Minako had felt as she came to the conclusion that if she was going to figure any of it out, she was going to have to go to the source for an answer…

It was nearly three in the morning when Minako showed up on Rei's doorstep. "Did you mean it?" she demanded of a half asleep Rei.

"Mean what?" asked Rei as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"The date," answered Minako. "And the kiss. Especially the kiss. Did you mean it, or did you do it all because you felt sorry for me?"

One corner of Rei's mouth turned up as she leaned against the doorframe. "I meant it."

Rei nearly fell over as Minako threw her arms around Rei's neck in a furious hug. When she recovered, she put her arms around the blonde and stood for several minutes just holding her.

"Thank you," whispered Minako right before she let go of Rei. Then she grinned and started to walk away.

"Hey," Rei called after her. "Where are you going?"

Minako turned, but kept walking slowly backwards. "I have to get home. Artemis was worried about me when I left and looked like he was on the verge of following me. Besides, my parents have no idea I'm gone. If they find out I snuck out, I'll be grounded for a month. I can't have that happen now that I have a date for Saturday night." With that, Minako blew a kiss to Rei, then turned and hurried away.

A few turns in front of the mirror just to make sure she was well in place, and Rei was happily satisfied with what she saw. She went over to her dresser and took out the little black box she had hidden inside a locked trinket box in her bottom drawer. Plans were going smoothly this time, unlike the last time she'd tried to give Minako this gift. But then, the way they often planned things was rarely how it ever turned out.

Telling their friends about their relationship was a prime example of plans gone horribly askew, thought Rei. She and Minako hadn't intended to keep it a secret for as long as they had. At first, it was just about being sure. Things were going to change, and they had wanted to be certain of themselves before they presented the relationship to anyone else. Then, once they were sure they wanted more than just friendship and never wanted to go back to the way things had been before, it became a matter of timing. And somewhere during all of it, hiding had turned into something of a game. One they should have realized they were losing the day Artemis caught them snuggling in a closer-than-friends kind of way.

Rei chuckled to herself. The white furball had taken it pretty well once he'd calmed down. He'd even agreed to keep quiet about it until they were ready to tell everyone else. She suspected it was mostly because he was just glad Minako had found someone who wouldn't hurt or leave her. Though he did often lecture them on just how long the telling of it was taking.

Looking back, Rei was amazed they'd managed to keep it a secret for over a year. Maybe it was because for most of that time everyone had been wrapped up in saving the world from this threat or that evil. Then, with the defeat of Galaxia behind them, things had suddenly gone normal.

Normalcy. It was a strange thing for all the girls, Rei knew, and was shown in the amount of time they were spending together. She remembered it feeling something like if they didn't stay joined at the hip, the five of them would somehow drift apart. The feeling eased as the months passed, but the togetherness didn't, especially once Mamoru left for the States. Usagi felt easier about him being gone this time, with him having called and written, but she still missed him. The combined need to make Usagi smile and the feeling of wanting to be with their friends was making it difficult for she and Minako to find any time alone.

It was on one of those rare occasions of just-for-them together time when Fate decided they had been in the closet long enough, and it was now going to take matters into its own hands…

Soft fingers moving lightly against her neck woke Rei from her sleep. Her eyes remained closed, and she could feel her hair being brushed aside just before lips pressed gently against the newly exposed skin.

Those lips moved up close to her ear, then whispered, "Rei? Are you awake yet?"

"What time is it?" asked Rei sleepily.

"Just after seven," answered Minako. She placed a kiss just under Rei's ear as her hand wandered down to rest on Rei's hip. "We still have a few hours before we have to get up."

Rei grinned as a warmth began to spread through her at having Minako so close. But she couldn't help teasing just a little. "Go back to sleep, then, if we still have time. Kami knows you didn't get much last night."

"I don't wanna go back to sleep," said Minako, and Rei could imagine the playful pout on the blonde's face to match her voice. Then Minako's fingers started trailing slowly up along Rei's side. Reaching their destination, they skimmed over the top of her breast before cupping it fully. "And neither do you," purred Minako as she gave a little squeeze.

Rei turned onto her back and smiled at the girl above her. Reaching forward, she tangled one hand in Minako's hair and pulled her down into a slow kiss. Without releasing the kiss, Rei rolled them so Minako was beneath her. She pulled back slightly to take a breath, then a bit more as Minako's eyes opened and stared into hers.

"I love you," said Rei quietly, a finger moving to trace over Minako's lips. "My Mina."

Minako smiled at the endearment, and her lips parted just enough for the tip of Rei's finger to enter. Her teeth nipped playfully before her tongue laved against it, bringing more of Rei's finger into her mouth. Minako's tongue caressed against it, then released the digit with a slight pop.

Rei smirked at the saucy grin on Minako's face. She then trailed her finger over Minako's chin and down along her throat. The finger continued its path across the blonde's chest and over the slope of her left breast. Cool, damp circles were drawn around the areola, the circumference of each rotation tightening until the finger reached its final target.

Minako's eyes closed and a heavy sigh escaped her throat as Rei's fingers played over her nipple. Her hands gripped the sheets as Rei's thumb and forefinger closed around the hardened nub and began a gentle roll. A little pinch was given for emphasis before the fingers were removed, but before Minako could grieve their loss, she felt Rei's lips hovering just close enough to feel without actually touching. She whimpered as much from need as anticipation.

Rei's lips moved minutely closer, just barely brushing against Minako's nipple. After several light passes, her tongue reached out and teased as her left hand came down and rested against Minako's other breast, offering it some attention of its own before Rei devoted her mouth fully to its task.

Minako's legs began to shift restlessly against Rei's. Rei grinned against Minako's skin, knowing full well what the girl wanted.

Moving just a bit to change her center of balance, Rei brought her right hand to lie on Minako's belly. She began a steady stroking along her lover's midsection, enjoying the warmth and softness under her palm. Then, moving her body down further, Rei laid a trail of kisses in the path behind her hand. When her lips reached Minako's bellybutton, she stopped.

Rei's hand played against Minako's thigh as she said slowly, "I wonder what it is my Mina wants? Hmmm?"

Rei's fingers moved in small circles against the inside of Minako's thigh as her lips came down over the blonde's bellybutton. Her tongue circled slowly around the tiny indent as her hand moved lazily up Minako's leg.

Minako's back arched as she felt Rei brush against her. Nimble fingers parted her and slowly teased. Rei's mouth began a languid descent, laying kisses against Minako's abdomen, her hip and thigh. Rei's grin became devilish as she heard Minako's soft moan.

And then a voice that very clearly was not Minako's slammed into her like a runaway freight train.

"Oh. My. God." The voice belonged to Makoto, and the image of her standing in the doorway with Usagi and Ami right beside her was permanently burned into Rei's brain.

Ami stood with her back turned and her face buried in her hands, her face no doubt as red as her ears. Usagi was staring bug-eyed, her mouth hanging open, as she beheld the sight before her. Makoto seemed mostly shell shocked, looking for the world like she'd forgotten how to move even though she dearly wanted to.

That frozen moment was abruptly kicked back into gear as Minako almost pushed Rei off the bed in her haste to make a grab for the sheet bunched around Rei's legs. Trying to save herself, and in so doing remembering she was sitting naked in front of her three closest friends, Rei also wound up making a play for the sheet. The two of them wound up falling over each other, pulling at limbs and the bedsheet in an effort to regain some of their lost dignity. And in the midst of it all, Rei heard another voice ring out.

Managing to sit back up and keep a section of the sheet in front of her, Rei paused and watched as Usagi doubled over in laughter. She felt Minako move around to hide behind her and noticed Makoto still staring at them, not having so much as blinked in the last 60 seconds of the hell that had suddenly become her life.

Not having a clue what to say, Rei finally barked out, "Don't any of you know how to knock! And you could at least turn around and stop staring!"

Her voice seemed to snap Makoto out of the trance she was in. The girl then did one better than Rei's request. She grabbed Usagi and Ami by the backs of their shirts and hauled them out the door with her, closing it in the process.

Rei closed her eyes and released a huge breath. Minako collapsed on the bed behind her. When Rei opened her eyes after a slow count to 100, she looked around under her arm to see Minako looking up at her, a worried smile on her face.

"She laughed, Rei," said the blonde quietly. "Like she thought it was funny. Do you think?"

"I don't know," answered Rei. "Could be. Or maybe we just short circuited her brain and that was what Usagi meltdown sounds like. But whatever it was, we'll find out soon enough," she said with a nod towards the door. "The other two also. And just what are they doing here so early anyway? We aren't supposed to leave until 10:30."

Minako reached over and picked up the alarm clock. She frowned at it, shook it a few times, held it to her ear, and then sighed. "I think it's dead," she said as she tossed it to the floor. Another sigh, this one more wistful. "That would have been a good one, too."

Rei couldn't help a small chuckle at that. "I'll make it up to you later," she said to her girlfriend. "Right now we have to get dressed. Can't put this off any longer than we already have."

The ten minutes they took to collect themselves that morning had seemed to Rei like the longest and shortest of her life. When she and Minako opened the door to face their friends, more emotions than she could describe ran through her, the strongest of those being fear of what she would see, and hope that they would understand.

The fear had been unfounded, Rei now knew. Usagi, in between fits of laughter, had told them she was happy for them. She'd put her arms around both of them and held all three of them together for several seconds before being overcome by another round of giggles, this time joined by Minako.

During all of that, Rei had noticed Makoto leaning against one of the porch posts, chewing her lip and watching them. Rei wondered at the time what was going on in the girl's mind, though now she had a better understanding of it. Because for a moment there, those green eyes had been stormy and confused, but when Makoto spoke, her initial words were kind. Then she'd laid down what was the first of many jokes about just how obviously "happy" the two of them were together.

Ami was another matter to Rei, though. She had given a confidence and not been given one in return. It took several days for Rei to find a comfortable moment for the two of them to speak. To her relief, Ami had smiled shyly at her, even if the girl hadn't quite been able to meet her eyes. Ami then said she understood why they had kept it a secret and was glad she had someone to share her own secrets with. She wasn't upset at all, though she was still a bit embarrassed for having so casually walked in on such an intimate moment. She admitted, as well, that she was just a touch envious that Rei had found the courage she herself lacked.

Rei smiled at the memory of that conversation. It had been eight months since all of that had happened. Now, Ami was getting her own happily ever after with Makoto. And tonight, Rei was going to make sure she and Minako got theirs as well.

_---------------------------------------------  
_

Minako grinned madly, bouncing in her seat ever so slightly, as Rei slowly opened the box she had handed her. The miko was being entirely too careful with the packaging, thought Minako, while it was taking all the willpower she had not to tear into the gold ribboned, red box that sat so temptingly in front of her with a peach rose resting comfortably over its top.

The lid to the large box was finally opened, and paper was carefully pushed aside. By this point, Minako was certain Rei was doing this just to tease and torment her. The small, mischievous grin the miko wore was testament enough to that fact. Then, Rei's grin widened, and Minako knew the girl had found her gift.

With a laugh, Rei pulled the stuffed penguin from his box. He had a white bow dotted with red hearts around his neck to match the heart shaped candy box he held.

"He's cute, Mina," she said as she leaned in for a quick kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," answered Minako. Then she clapped her hands together. "My turn!" she announced.

The blonde turned her attention to the package sitting on the table, knowing there was candy in the box and hoping it was the raspberry creams she liked so much. She picked up the rose and began to lift it to her nose, wondering why Rei suddenly looked so nervous. Then she noticed the weight of the rose and how much heavier it was than it should have been.

Minako turned her attention completely to the flower in front of her. When she saw it, her heart almost stopped. There, tied around the stem by a thin, red ribbon, was a gold band. A free finger came up to trace around the edge, feeling the etching of the vine and leaf pattern against her skin. Very carefully, Minako untied the ribbon, as if the whole thing could shatter at a careless touch. The ring now resting in her palm, Minako turned a watery and questioning gaze on Rei.

Rei took a deep breath, then dove in with both feet. "You're a part of me now, Mina. I wanted a way to tell you that. A way to let you know that, no matter where you are or what's going on, you're connected to someone, heart and soul. I'll be yours for as long as you want me. And I'd like for you to be mine." Rei smiled nervously as Minako stared at her in dewy-eyed wonder. "L… look at the inside. Can you see?"

"Hmm?" Minako asked, feeling herself on the verge of tears. She quickly glanced down at the ring, searching. Her eyes caught the engraving on the inside, and she frowned slightly. Kanji. It took a moment for her brain to find the proper meaning, but when she did, she lifted her eyes back to Rei. "Home?"

Rei nodded. "Grandpa says each of us has a path we're meant to follow in life. Some will travel close to the place they were born. Others will travel far. And some will walk a road that will take them in circles, leading them to places far away, but always bringing them back home. You'll always have a home with me, Mina. No matter where we are in life, wherever I am, you'll always have someplace to come back to. And there will always be someone who loves you waiting for you to come back home." Rei's eyes dropped quickly to the floor, her hands playing anxiously in her lap. "Jeez, that sounds corny. I sup… oomph," Rei was cut off, the wind knocked out of her as she was tackle hugged by Minako.

The blonde rained kisses down upon the miko's face, each one punctuated by an 'I love you.' After several minutes, Minako lifted herself so she could look down at Rei and smiled at her through happy tears. "You'll be part of me forever and ever, Rei," she said quietly. "But… I don't have one for you."

Rei sat up carefully, keeping Minako in her lap and holding her against her chest. "That's okay. We know. That's what really matters. Now, here, let me see," said Rei as she held out her hand.

Minako laid the ring in Rei's palm, then held out her hand as directed. "For always, Mina," said Rei as she gently slid the ring onto Minako's finger, greatly relieved that it went on easily and held in a near perfect fit. Then she lowered her lips to Minako's and sealed her promise with a kiss.

When the kiss broke, Minako leaned back against Rei's chest as the other girl's arms wrapped around her. "For always," repeated the blonde, letting out a contented sigh as she held her hand out in front of her and admired the band around her finger.

"I have a chain for it," said Rei softly. "I know there are some people who shouldn't see it yet. That way you can wear it if you want to and no one will ask any uncomfortable questions."

"You really did think of everything, didn't you?" said Minako as she cuddled closer to Rei.

"Well," said Rei, "I've had enough time to refine the original plan. Remember when you were getting all those roses during the school play?" asked Rei when Minako looked up at her questioningly. "Did you notice that you had eleven? I was going to surprise you with the twelfth, and the ring, on closing night. You know, a dozen roses? But then it all went to hell with that cat girl and Makoto."

"You've been planning it for that long?" asked Minako in amazement. "I had no idea."

"I know," answered Rei, feeling very proud of herself. That pride showed in her grin as she said, "And you know what the best part of that is? I get to tell all our friends that I beat the Senshi of Love at her own game."

"Oh, you," said Minako as she slapped playfully at Rei. Then she grinned, the seductress in her coming to the forefront. She turned so she was straddling Rei's lap, her arms draped over the dark haired girl's shoulders. "And you shouldn't count yourself the winner just yet, Hino Rei," said Minako, her face moving closer to Rei's until they were only millimeters apart. "Because the night isn't over yet."

As Minako's lips descended on hers, Rei allowed herself to be led by the blonde. As she lay back against the cushions on the floor, Rei doubted very strongly there was any way she would come out a loser in this game tonight.


	17. Fairy Tales for the Modern Girl pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 17:  Fairy Tales for the Modern Girl – pt 2

            Kaya finished sorting through one box and replaced its lit before moving it to the far side of the attic.  She lifted another box and took it back over to the small stepstool she was using as a chair.  Kaya smiled as she wiped the dust away from the faded ink on the lid.  'Ami – Four Years Old' was written there in her own neat print.

            The box's lid was lifted and set to the side as Kaya looked down into the memories she had of her daughter.  This box held things similar to the three others she'd spent the most time going through this morning.  A photo album, the first picture in it a shot of Ami standing next to a height marker on her fourth birthday, was the first thing she took from the box.  She spent some time looking through the album before putting it aside and digging further into the box.

            Some books Ami had favored but outgrown were lifted out and set apart with a growing collection of things Ami was to go through when she arrived later this afternoon.  A folder of progress reports, award certificates, and other papers from the preschool Ami had started that year, along with a collection of crayon drawings and other small projects, were overlooked in favor of what Kaya could now see at the very bottom of the box.

            Kaya lifted out the plastic bag and unzipped it, then carefully removed the pale blue silk.  Letting the fabric fall to its full shape, she held the small kimono out in front of her and once again marveled over the intricate, dark blue and white stitching her grandmother had done as a present for her oldest, most beloved (and at the time only) great-grandchild.

            "Were you ever really this small?"  Kaya shook her head, then refolded the kimono and placed it back inside the box.  "She can have all of this when she gets a bit older.  But until then, I think she might like to have you back now," she said as she picked up the stuffed animal that was beside the replaced kimono.

            Kaya grinned at the little cow's slightly worn face.  Ami had carried it around with her everywhere for two years before finally abandoning it that year.  And all because of a careless comment by her father.

            It had been a fight just like all the others they'd found themselves having back then when they were left alone in the same room.  He'd complained about all the time she was spending at the hospital.  Then more about how inflexible and cold she'd become towards him because of it.  She'd argued that he was spending just as much, if not more, time holed up at the lake "being creative," and if her working was such a problem for him, then why didn't he get a real job and help support them for once.  Here he would have usually cursed at her, or slammed a door, or as he'd done more and more lately, he would have left for the night and gone off somewhere to wait for the sun to rise and Kaya to leave for work.  The usual course of things had changed, however, as he brought Ami's name into the argument instead.

            "Whatever it is you've done to her," he'd yelled as Kaya stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest, "you've completely killed her imagination!  Four-year-olds are supposed to believe in magic and fairies and… and purple cows!" he'd thrown out as he waved a hand at the drawings of Ami's stuffed cow sitting on the play table in the living room.  "She sees the world in black and white and gets upset when she colors outside the lines.  She's barely even a child anymore, Kaya.  Somehow, without ever being here, you've turned her into an over-analytical little version of you!"

            Kaya had snapped then and lost her temper in a way she rarely did.  In that moment of unbridled anger, she'd forgotten bedroom doors offered little in the way of soundproofing when your parents were going at each other's throats in the next room.

            Having more than a decade's worth of perspective gave Kaya a better view of what had started that night.  She could see now that by that point she and her husband had already left each other emotionally.  Ami was the only thing keeping them both there.  For all that her ex could be irresponsible and flighty, he had cared for their daughter.  He'd needed an excuse so he could pack up and move on with no strings attached the way his free, artist's spirit had been demanding.

            That perspective, however, did little to ease the anger she felt at him for leaving Ami the way he had.  In Kaya's opinion, a few pretty pictures when he could be bothered to remember he had a child didn't make for a real father.  Besides, if he was going to disappear from their lives, Kaya would have preferred he do it completely.  Ami's smile was enough of a reminder of that one big failure.  Ami, though, had just seemed happy to know her father was thinking of her, even if he couldn't take the time to so much as write her a note and say he missed her.

            Kaya smiled sadly at the little cow she held.  "You were never a straight line, Ami.  Your waves were just too subtle for your papa to recognize."  She sighed and put the stuffed animal into the box she was making for Ami.  "I should have just married a nice, boring doctor the way Father wanted," Kaya mumbled to herself.  She couldn't stop the small, reproachful laugh that thought produced in her.  "Have to watch who I say that around.  I'd never hear the end of it."

            "Mom!" came a call from downstairs.

            "Up in the attic!" called Kaya back as she replaced the lid on the 'Ami' box and moved it to the side.  "I'll be down in just a minute!"

            "That's okay," answered a nearing voice.  "We're coming up."

            Ami's head appeared at the top of the fold-down ladder, and Kaya made a point of frowning at her.  "Ami, don't make that poor girl try and get up here."

            "It's all right, Mizuno-san," said Makoto, a smile in her voice.  "I think I can still fit."

            "You know I didn't mean it that way," replied Kaya as Makoto followed Ami into the attic.  "I just know that ladder isn't the easiest thing to get up when you're only bringing yourself.  I don't imagine it's any easier when there's someone else along for the ride."

            "What are you doing up here?" asked Ami.

            Kaya stepped over to her and wiped the dust from her hands onto her jeans before giving Ami a hello hug.  "With you going through your things the way you have this week, I got to thinking about all the stuff up here.  Most of it was already in boxes when we lived in the old apartment, and I never opened it or went through any of it before we moved in here.  Decided now would be a good time to give it a look through.  Since you're both up here, you might as well pull up some chairs.  There should be a few over there under that cloth," she said to Ami, pointing out the right direction.  "Grab two and get comfortable.  I have some things for you to look through."

            Ami nodded and went to get the chairs, curious as to what she would find up here today.

            Kaya turned to Makoto and tentatively reached to embrace the girl.  "You too," she said.  Then added, "And there's no need to be so formal with me."  Pulling back, she saw the surprise she'd felt in the hug.  "Now, I'm going to be nosey and intrusive for a moment.  Any unusual aches or pains?  I know this last week must have been stressful for you.  Are you getting enough rest?  You're not pushing yourself too hard trying to get everything done, are you?"

            Makoto grinned and shook her head.  "Nobody will let me overdo it.  So I'm okay and no real complaints.  Thank you for asking, though, Miz… um… Kaya-san."

            "Don't believe her, Mom," interjected Ami from across the room where she was poking around in a box after having pulled out the chairs.  "She isn't complaining about it much, but her back has been bothering her for the last few days.  And for the past couple of weeks she's had a hard time sleeping through the night."

            Makoto frowned at Ami for ratting her out, a gesture which Ami blithely ignored.  "Ami worries too much," said Makoto in response.  "I wake up because moving around has gotten awkward.  I can't roll over onto my stomach anymore and I still keep trying to in my sleep.  Plus, I have a bad habit of falling asleep when we get home from school.  I sleep too much, if anything."

            "What about your back?" asked Kaya, her tone switching from mother to doctor.  "Where's the pain and how bad is it?"

            Makoto shifted a bit uncomfortably.  "In the middle, I guess.  It really isn't that bad, though."

            "All right," said Kaya, forcing herself to pull back.  "It's likely just due to the extra weight.  Or possibly because you aren't sleeping comfortably."  Then she stopped herself.  "But, you'd know if you needed help, and I'm sure you wouldn't be so stubborn as to not ask for it.  Remember, there will never be another time when people will be so willing to do for you."

            Makoto nodded.  "Thank you."

            "You're welcome.  Now that that's out of the way, come have a seat.  You just might enjoy some of this."

*            *            *

            Makoto pulled another photo from the box she was holding.  Another first in the early life of Mizuno Ami was revealed, this one, much to Ami's relief, not involving naked baby pictures.

            In the photo, a very small Ami stood beside a pool, the child barely visible beneath all the gear piled onto her.  Her face was covered by overly large goggles, a snorkel hanging off the side.  Pink and white polka dotted swimmies were on each of her arms.  An inner tube shaped like a dragon was held up around her waist, and her feet were clad in white flippers no child could have actually walked in.  And, in a manner very similar to what the older version was doing now, little Ami held a stuffed cow plushie close to her and smiled.

            "She was three years old," said Kaya when she saw the picture.  "My brother, Kyo, thought she was old enough to learn how to swim.  So when we went up to visit, he decided not only was he going to teach her, he was also going to outfit her for the occasion.  This would have been all well and good if it had been anyone other than Kyo."

            "I remember that," said Ami.  "Uncle Kyo taught me to swim in Grandfather's pool.  It went all right."

            "You were three, sweetheart," said Kaya through a chuckle.  "Your memory is faulty.  Kyo's idea of teaching you to swim involved throwing you in the deep end and hoping you could float long enough for whatever natural instincts you might have had to kick in.  Kind of like the way birds push their young out of the nest and hope they learn to fly before they hit the ground."

            Makoto laughed and looked back and forth between Ami and her mother.  "Did he really do that?"

            "Yes," grinned Ami.  She had heard this story so many times over the years she began to wonder if what she remembered was her own memory or a combination of what she'd been told by her mother and uncles.  Regardless, she knew her part in the telling of it here.  "But he only did it because Uncle Seijuurou was waiting there to catch me.  He wouldn't have done it otherwise."

            Kaya huffed at that.  "You have too much faith in what passes for your uncle's common sense."

            A musical tone interrupted at that moment.  Kaya took the cell phone from her belt clip, looked at the id screen, then answered, "Mizuno."  Hearing the voice on the other end, her seriousness evaporated to be replaced with a relaxed smile.  "No, I'm at home," she said as she got up and took a few steps away from the girls.  "I didn't even hear it.  The girls are here.  We're up in the attic."

            Makoto turned her attention to Ami and the scrapbook the girl had just picked up from the box at her side.  Kaya's chuckle, however, pulled part of her attention to that conversation.

            "There are windows at both ends," said Kaya through a smile.  "I think she'd find a way to escape."  Another pause and a nod.  "It should be down in my office.  Hold on a second."  She started to move the phone from her ear, but stopped and smirked at whatever was said.  "Eight am sharp.  The plans are still the same."

            Kaya turned to the girls then.  "I have to get a file from downstairs.  I'll be right back."

            Both girls nodded to her before she descended down the ladder.

            When Kaya was out of sight, Makoto asked Ami, "What's your mom doing at eight am?"

            Ami smiled.  "Giving herself more time than necessary to get my things loaded up I expect.  I wonder if her friend realized how early a start Mom intended for them?"

            That caught Makoto off guard.  "Her friend?"

            "Um hm," answered Ami.  "She said one of her friends offered to help her bring my things over to the apartment, since Mom's car isn't big enough for everything.  It's why she said not to bother trying to get over here in the morning."

            "She told someone what we were doing?"

            Ami focused her full attention on Makoto, the scrapbook she'd been leafing through coming to rest against her knees.  She tried to place what she heard in Makoto's voice with what she could see in the girl's eyes.  There was surprise and some worry there, and creeping in, annoyance and anger.

            "She told a friend I was moving," said Ami levelly, keeping back her own storm of emotions until she had a clearer understanding of what she was seeing.  "I don't know what else might have been said.  It bothers you, though, that she might have told someone, doesn't it?"

            Makoto looked away and fidgeted with the tabbed and indexed photobox on her lap.  "No, of course not," she answered, the reply sounding less than sure.  "I just didn't think it was the kind of thing she'd want to tell people."  Then, in a bid to change the subject, nodded towards Ami's feet.  "You dropped something."

            Not taking the bait, Ami refused to look away.  "Mako-chan…" she stared, but was cut off as Makoto leaned forward.

            Moving a bit awkwardly, Makoto reached forward and snagged the paper that had fallen out of the scrapbook.  She made a show of unfolding it, then looked intently at the picture drawn on it.  After several seconds of study, a grin of admiration for the artist appeared on her face, and she held it up for Ami to see.

            Ami took the picture that was held out to her.  "It's my mom.  I've never seen this before."

            In the pencil sketch, Kaya's hair fell long and wavy around her shoulders rather than in the short bob she wore it in now.  While she was certainly attractive in the present, the face in the sketch was younger and appeared more carefree than Makoto had ever seen the more mature version.  Makoto looked from the portrait to Ami and back again.  The two were almost identical, the biggest difference at the moment being the smile Kaya's image so easily wore.

            Wanting the smile back on Ami's face, Makoto lifted a hand and ran her fingers along the edges of Ami's hair.  "She's really pretty in this drawing.  You know, if your hair was longer, you'd look just like her."

            Ami understood the gesture and smiled shyly, allowing her questions to drop for the time being.  "People say that, but I don't see it.  Except for maybe my eyes.  We all have the same eyes on my mom's side of the family."  She pointed to a set of initials and a date in the corner of the paper.  "My dad drew this.  I think this is around the time when they first met."

            "What is?" asked Kaya as she came back up the ladder.

            Ami hesitated for a moment, then handed the drawing to her mother.

            Kaya's expression remained impassive.  "Hmmm, now this is something I haven't seen in a very long time.  You're right when you say this is when we first met," she said as she handed it back to Ami, then reclaimed her seat.  "It was the first day, actually.  Your papa would sit in the park or on street corners and draw the people he could snag going by.  It was how he tried to sell his work back then.  I just happened to be at the park that day with a few friends.  I was 22, spring was in full bloom, and he had the most incredible smile.  Not to mention he was the epitome of everything my father hated about my generation."

            A smile tugged at the corners of Kaya's mouth, and Makoto was surprised to see a glint of mischief in her blue eyes.  Then Kaya shook her head slightly and sighed.

            "That was a long time ago, though," she said.  "You can keep that if you want.  I didn't even realize I still had it."

            "Thank you," answered Ami.

            Kaya nodded.  "So, do you two have any plans for the rest of the night?"

            "We're staying in tonight," replied Ami.  Then, realizing how that might sound to her mother, amended with a blush, "To make sure we have everything ready for tomorrow."

            Makoto chuckled quietly, then added, "Take-out, a couple cartons of ice cream, and some sappy old romances in the VCR.  We thought that sounded like a good plan, even if the apartment is practically nothing but boxes."

            Kaya agreed and thought to herself it would be nice if the good women of Tokyo would stop having babies long enough for her to get in a few hours of take-out with her own handsome doctor.

*            *            *

            The restaurant was only a block away from the apartment.  Most nights it wasn't too crowded, being more of a place to get good take-out, and the atmosphere was always low key and pleasant.  Makoto thought this would be a good place to bring Ami on a date, maybe in a few weeks when things had settled down.  The thought amused her as she realized they were doing things backwards in a sense, moving in together and having a baby before they'd even had a real first date.

            Inside the restaurant, Makoto placed the order and went back to stand beside Ami in the waiting area.  The dining area was nearly full tonight, the Valentine's special being a big draw.  It was the sort of thing that was just a bit silly, but romantic enough that it appealed to the younger crowd, especially those who couldn't afford the fancier restaurants, but still wanted to do something nice for their sweethearts.  Makoto was just glad that, now that she had someone to share it with, the novelty of heart shaped pizza hadn't worn off.

            Ami smiled at her as Makoto came over and leaned against the wall beside her.  Makoto's hands were pushed into her jacket pockets as she said it would take 15 minutes for their order to be ready.  Ami nodded, then let her eyes drift shut as she listened to the soft piano music that filtered through the place.  She was pleasantly surprised a few minutes later, when an arm gently nudged her away from the wall enough to rest across her shoulders.  Feeling pleasantly warm, Ami leaned into Makoto's side.

            Some minutes passed with the two of them just standing there together when Ami felt Makoto's posture tense.  She was about to ask if Makoto was uncomfortable standing there and would she rather sit, when the arm that was draped over her shoulders was quickly removed. Ami looked up at her girlfriend and saw, then, the real source of Makoto's discomfort.  She frowned, both because of the teenagers seated inside who had noticed them and started whispering, and at Makoto for allowing it to bother her so much.

            That same feeling of annoyance Ami had felt earlier reemerged.  She took a breath and, feeling a small surge of defiance, leaned back against Makoto's side.

            "Ami," said Makoto quietly as she tried to move away, "there's people from school."

            Keeping her voice low and level, Ami answered, "I saw them.  I don't particularly care, though it's obvious you do.  Why?  I asked you before, and I want an answer this time.  Because you were the one who said we needed to tell people."

            "I said we had to tell our friends, because we couldn't hide it from them, and your mom for a whole lot of other reasons," shot back Makoto, her voice rising.  "I never said anything about telling anyone else."

            A loud cough got the girls attention.  It was then that Ami realized the white noise of conversation in the waiting area had disappeared, as several pairs of eyes watched her and Makoto.  Wishing she could melt into the wall, Ami let Makoto go to get the pizza box and bag from the man behind the counter.  Ami couldn't help but wonder if that was really their order up, or if it was just a way to get them to leave more quickly.

            The walk back to the apartment was short and silent.  Once inside, Makoto went into the kitchen and placed the pizza box on the counter, throwing her jacket roughly over the back of a chair.  Without saying a word, she began to set out the paper plates and plastic utensils that sat in a pile on the breakfast counter.

            Ami followed after her, setting the bag of salad and breadsticks on the counter beside the pizza.  She stood and watched for a moment, arms crossed and waiting to see if Makoto would say anything.  When she didn't, Ami said calmly, "I want to talk.  Now."

            Makoto tensed, her hands stilling in their task.  Facing Ami, she said, "Why?  I'd think you'd be glad I don't want a bunch of people in our business.  After all, you're the one who always hates it when people pay too much attention to her."

            Ami felt a small stab of hurt at that, her expression becoming more stoic as a result.  It was an expression her friends had learned to interpret as the higher end of her emotions, the measured tone of her voice when she spoke lending more to it.  "I admit that a great deal of undue attention makes me a bit nervous.  However, I don't expect you to do anything that would garner such a thing, such as, say, standing in the street and declaring to all and sundry what we do when we're alone.  Neither do I expect you to deliberately try and hide the fact that we are together or the fact that there are certain things that we may choose to do as a result of that."

            "I'm not hiding anything!"

            "You are!" threw back Ami.  Her arms tightened together as she tried to reign herself in.  "You deliberately pulled back," she said, her voice louder than usual, but still not quite a shout.  "When you saw that group from school and realized you knew them, you pulled away from me.  Even after everything we've done, you're still ashamed of it and embarrassed to have other people find out."

            "I'm not!"  Makoto yelled back.  "If that were it, then I wouldn't even be standing here with you."

            "Then what is it?  Because from where I'm standing, that's how it looks.  And if that's really the way you feel, then this isn't going to work.  We can't live like that.  I won't."

            For a moment, Makoto just stood there, the storm raging in her eyes, her breathing heavy.  Then she turned and walked away.

            Ami blinked in confusion.  Makoto was at the kitchen door when Ami's brain kicked back in and she started to follow her.  "Mako-chan, where are you going?  Wait!"

            Makoto kept moving, maneuvering around boxes in a less than graceful manner.  "You want to leave?  Fine.  Go ahead and leave," she said without turning around or stopping.

            Makoto's slower movement gave Ami an advantage.  Before Makoto could make it to the hall and, presumably, the bedroom, Ami was able to get close enough to snag the back of her shirt and stop her.  "Mako-chan, stop.  I never said anything about wanting to leave."

            Moving around in front of Makoto, Ami stood and blocked the girl from going any further.  There was only one lamp left working in the livingroom, and in the dim, shadowy light, Ami could see a shine in Makoto's eyes.  Slowly, she reached up and touched Makoto's cheek, her thumb moving carefully under Makoto's eye, wiping away tears that would never fall.

            "I don't want to leave, Mako-chan," said Ami softly.  "I want you to talk to me.  I also want you to stop being so concerned about how it looks to everyone else.  I know it hurts sometimes, hearing things you were never meant to from people who know nothing about you.  I also know how hard it can be to just keep walking and pretend you didn't hear it or that none of it bothers you.  But you said it yourself.  We'll never fit into most people's definition of normal.  That doesn't make us any less or any more, it just makes us us.  We are a good thing, and you shouldn't be ashamed of it.  Remember, how you see us is how others will come to see us.  Most importantly, it's how he'll come to see us," she finished as she laid a hand on Makoto's stomach.

            Makoto swallowed hard, her stance relaxing a bit.  "You know I love you.  I meant that.  And I'm not ashamed of you."

            "I know.  And I love you, too."

            Makoto reached forward and pulled Ami to her.  "Pizza's probably cold by now."

            Ami grinned.  "You're not getting out of things that easily, Mako-chan.  We still need to have a real discussion about this."

            "Later, okay.  Right now, I'm just tired and hungry."

            "All right," relented Ami.  "We could heat it up in the oven.  That wouldn't take too long."

            "We'd have to dig out a pan and a potholder.  It'd be too much trouble."

           Ami pulled away and walked over to a stack of boxes.  She looked for a few seconds, then smiled.  Tapping the middle box, she said, "Kitchen:  Pots and Pans.  The potholders should be in one of the boxes over there, in Kitchen:  Misc."

            Makoto shook her head and chuckled.  "I swear never to make fun of your organizational system ever again."

*            *           *

            When they'd done it last night, Makoto had questioned why Rei and Ami were moving the television into the bedroom.  It had seemed to her to defeat the whole purpose of getting everything cleared out of the room, which was the main reason they were all there.  Now, she was glad they had.  The livingroom, with its bare walls, shadowy light, and stacks of boxes, felt too depressing and cluttered.  The bedroom wasn't much better, the lack of knickknacks, houseplants, and curtains to cover the plain, vinyl shades making the room feel unlived in.  But at least here they had more room to move.

            In bed, Makoto rested comfortably back against Ami.  Ami's attention was focused on the television, where the appropriately hunky hero ran through the streets in the rain in an effort to keep his one-and-only from leaving town.  Makoto's attention, however, was focused on her pint of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and thoughts of her own one-and-only.

            Makoto knew Ami was feeing hurt by what had happened at the restaurant.  She also knew that Ami expected an explanation beyond what they'd already talked about.  However, Makoto was having a hard time coming up with one she could satisfy herself with.  Saying she was still uncomfortable with people knowing about her didn't seem like enough.  It felt just as inadequate to say it wasn't so much the strangers, but the near strangers, the ones she had to interact with everyday, that made her feel the most uneasy.  Plus, she had no idea how to explain the twinge of panic she felt over everything without making is seem like she doubted Ami and their relationship.

            A small hitch from the girl behind her knocked Makoto's attention back fully to Ami.  Ami was wiping at her eyes as the hero in the movie held his beloved in the glow of the taxi lights and declared his undying love in the middle of a torrential downpour.  Makoto grinned.  Never let it be said there was a greater romantic then her blue haired genius.  The girl was a sap addict, whether she would admit it or not.

            Makoto scraped out the remainder of her ice cream and held the spoon up to Ami's mouth.

            Ami sniffled, then wrapped her lips around the offered spoon.

            Bringing the spoon back down, Makoto set it in the empty container.  "Well, that's the end of that."

            Ami leaned her head forward a bit to look over Makoto's shoulder, then reached towards the nightstand and her pint of mint chip.  "Do you want what's left of mine?  It's a bit melted, though."

            "No thanks," answered Makoto.  Then, handing the empty container to Ami, "Put this over there for me, would you?"

            Ami nodded and set the container on the nightstand alongside hers.  The ice cream now out of the way, she wrapped her arms around Makoto's shoulders in a hug.  "If we want to watch another movie, one of us is going to have to move," she said, leaning in close to Makoto's ear, and then kissing it lightly.

            She didn't want to move, not ever.  Makoto wanted only to stay here where Ami was touching her and kissing her and loving her.  Where Ami just was.  Maybe tomorrow she'd be able to explain it better.  Somehow, things always seemed clearer in the morning.


	18. Moving Day pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 18:  Ami and Mako-chan's Moving Day – pt 1

            After a pop of static and some snow, the video tape began to play.  The small screen on the camcorder showed a still shot of a neatly kept desk with a teddy bear sitting on its edge.  The wooden chair that matched the desk was turned to face the camera, a cardboard sign propped on the seat.  Written on the sign in purple and pink marker, the letters surrounded by yellow flowers, were the words, 'Ami and Mako-chan's Moving Day.'

            For five seconds, the camera focused on the sign.  Then Hotaru came into view and quickly moved the sign off the seat, sitting herself down in front of the camera.  "Today is the day my friends Ami and Mako-chan are moving into their new apartment.  We're all going over to help them."  She paused for a moment to reach behind her and take a photograph off her desk.  Holding it up, she continued, "This is what my family looked like when we moved into our house.  We weren't friends with the others like we are now, so it's just got the four of us in the picture.  I'm going to take a new picture with the camera Setsuna-mama gave me when we get to Mako-chan's new home.  That way, I'll have a now picture to go with my before one."

            The camera watched Hotaru replace the photo and then get up and move out of view.  A second later, the camera was turned off.  When it came back on, the setting had changed to the kitchen.

            Setsuna was seated at the table, a terry robe over her pajamas and a cup of coffee in front of her.  Being the first awake, she was taking advantage of first look at the morning paper.  Without looking up from what she was reading, Setsuna asked, "Is that really necessary, Hotaru?  It's just a cup of coffee."

            "Chibi-usa said today was going to be a big day.  I don't want to miss anything."

            This got Setsuna's interest enough for her to look up from her paper.  "She told you that, did she?" said Setsuna into the lens, though it was directed at the girl behind the camera rather than the camera itself.  "Did she tell you anything else?"

            "No," answered Hotaru.  "She only said I should be sure to remember to bring my camcorder."  The focus then shifted off of Setsuna and scanned quickly around the room before landing back on its original target.  "Where's Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa?  They're gonna miss breakfast.  You are still going to make pancakes, aren't you?"

            "Yes, I'm still going to," answered Setsuna.  A quiet smile appeared on her face.  "Haruka and Michiru had a late night, so they're sleeping in this morning.  However, I suppose they've had enough sleep.  Why don't you go knock on their door and see if they're ready to wake up."

            With a minimum of movement, the camera was again clicked off.  When it came back on this time, there was a jostle of picture as it was set down on something in the hallway.  Hotaru knelt down in front of it, a bedroom door behind her.

            "They're being lazy today," she said quietly.  "If they don't get up soon, they're gonna miss Setsuna-mama's pancakes.  And she makes the best pancakes ever.  Michiru-mama:  French toast.  Haruka-papa:  Omelets.  Setsuna-mama:  Banana pancakes.  And she doesn't make them often, so today is special just because of that."

            "Hotaru, who are you talking to?" asked Haruka.  She had appeared behind Hotaru in the bedroom doorway dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, her hair poking out in every which direction.  She yawned and squinted into the camera lens.

            Hotaru stood, her back temporarily blocking the lens.  "Setsuna-mama says it's time for breakfast."

            "Oh.  Okay.  We'll be down in a few minutes," replied Haruka.  Then that killer grin of hers began to form and break through the morning cloud covering her features.  "Except your Michiru-mama seems to be having a hard time waking up."

            "I can get her up," exclaimed Hotaru excitedly just before she ran into the bedroom.

            Haruka walked closer to the camera, leaning down so her face took up the entirety of the frame.  She nodded, then picked up the camcorder and followed her daughter into the room.

            A soft chuckle from the racer was picked up on the microphone as the camera came to bear on Michiru and Hotaru.  Michiru was the same as Haruka had left her, lying on her stomach with the comforter pulled halfway up her bare back.  Her eyes were closed, her face turned towards the edge of the bed and resting comfortably on her pillow.  The slight tension in her body seemed to indicate she was doing everything she could to remain asleep and comfortable as her child poked her repeatedly in the shoulder.

            "Michiru-mama," whispered Hotaru loudly against Michiru's ear.  "Setsuna-mama's making pancakes.  You have to get up now.  Michiru-mama."  Hotaru frowned at the lack of response.  Then she reached forward and lifted Michiru's eyelid with one, small finger and stared intently into the forced open eye.

            At that point, Michiru couldn't fight it anymore.  She made an undignified sound that was a cross between a grunt and a sigh.  Moving her head away from Hotaru's fingers, she started to roll over, remembering belatedly her state of undress.  Landing quickly back on her stomach, Michiru grabbed the edge of the comforter and pulled it up closer to her so she could move.

            "Morning Michiru-mama," said Hotaru brightly when her mama finally sat up.

            Eyes still puffy from sleep and hair slightly askew and flat against one side of her head, Michiru blinked several times at the girl in front of her.  "Good morning, Hotaru," she said sleepily.  "You were saying something about pancakes?"

            Hotaru nodded.

            Haruka's laugh could be heard right then as she said from behind the camera,  "Good morning, Sunshine."

            The last thing the camera saw in that room was the pillow Michiru sent sailing towards it.

            A tap on her open door made Hotaru look up from the viewscreen on her camcorder where she had been watching the tape from earlier that morning.

            "Time to go, Hotaru," said Haruka.  "Do you have everything you want to bring with you?"

            Climbing off her bed with her camcorder, Hotaru answered, "Yes.  My bag's downstairs with my camera and extra battery in it."

            "All right, then.  Let's get going.  Race ya downstairs," said Haruka with a mischievous grin.

            Hotaru laughed.  "We're not allowed to run in the house, remember?  Besides, nobody can beat you, Haruka-papa.  You're the wind."

*            *            *

            At just after eleven, everyone but Usagi and Chibi-usa had arrived at Makoto's.  Ami's mom had called Ami's cell phone to tell her she was on the way over, and with that, everything had started moving forward.

            "Watch out, Hotaru," said Haruka as she sidestepped around the little girl and her video camera on her way up the stairs.  She set the box she was carrying beside the apartment door, then called down, "We need to get something to prop this door open with.  It isn't holding on its own."

            "Did you catch that, Minako?" called Rei as she headed after Haruka with another box.

            "Yeah," answered Minako.  "Hold on a sec, and I'll see what Mako-chan has."  She took a second to smile and pose for Hotaru's camera, then headed inside with the girl trailing after her.

            Passing Michiru and a set of houseplants, Minako grinned as she heard Makoto complain, "They're plants.  I can carry my plants."

            "Not up those stairs, you can't," called back Michiru calmly without stopping.

            "It's a conspiracy, and I bet I know who's behind it," muttered Makoto.

            "And I'm sure everyone's out to get you, too," said Ami as she came up behind Makoto carrying a lamp and a duffle bag.

            "So says the ringleader," huffed Makoto.  "You've even got your mom in on it.  Don't think I didn't notice what she was sitting on yesterday."

            Color tinted Ami's cheeks at the knowledge she'd been caught on that one.  "Since you didn't say anything, I thought you hadn't realized it.  But Mom doesn't know it's yours.  If I'd known she had taken the stepstool out of the utility closet where I'd hidden it, I would have been more careful about letting you up in the attic."

            "Sure you would have," answered Makoto, looking more amused than she had a moment ago.

            "Hey, Mako-chan," interrupted Minako, providing Ami with a chance to escape, "Haruka needs something to prop the door open with upstairs."

            "Everything's in boxes," replied Makoto.  She thought for a second, then asked, "What about one of my school shoes?  They're over by the door."  Then, just as Minako turned to look for one, she remembered, "No, they're not.  I put them in my bag when we got home yesterday.  Ami just left with them."

            "I'll catch her," said Minako, taking off after her blue haired friend.

            Makoto was about to follow when she was stopped by Hotaru.  "Hi, Mako-chan," said the little girl, her camera lens directed at Makoto.

            Makoto smiled down at the girl.  "Hi again, Hotaru.  Are you finding some interesting things to get pictures of?"  
            "Yes," answered Hotaru.  "You sure do have a lot of people here today.  Wonder why they all came over?"

            "Everybody came to help me and Ami move into our new apartment," answered Makoto, happily indulging the child.  "That was really nice of them to do.  We really appreciate it."

            "You got a new apartment, huh.  Why'd you do that?"

            Through a wide smile, Makoto gave the answer she knew Hotaru wanted.  "Because we're having a baby, and we needed more room."

            Hotaru's smile matched Makoto's as she focused her camera on Makoto's middle.  "Hi baby," she said with a giggle.

            "He says 'hi' back.  Come on, let's go see if they caught Ami and my shoes."

            "Which bedroom is yours?" asked Rei.  She stood looking between the two doors in the hall of the third floor apartment, wondering which room she was supposed to leave the box in.

            "The first one," answered Ami.  Following Rei into the room, she set down the lamp and bag.

            Taking advantage of the moment alone, Rei began to prod gently for information on how last night had gone.  She meant only to tease a bit, as a lead in to brag about her own Valentine's Day, but when Ami didn't immediately go red with that happy grin on her face the way she had taken to lately, Rei felt equal stabs of guilt and concern.

            "We had a good night," said Ami, her words chosen carefully.  "But it wasn't exactly the way we'd planned.  It was just a small argument," she added at Rei's concerned look.  "We got through it all right, and it isn't anything that won't work itself out with a little bit of time.  I wonder if it all would have been a bit easier if we'd had a little more time for everything?"

            Rei chuffed.  "If you two had taken any more time, we'd be standing in the middle of Crystal Tokyo right now."  Then the smirk she wore softened.  "Everything's really okay?"

            Ami nodded.  "It is."

            Rei smiled, but before she could launch into her own tale, a shout came from the livingroom.

            "Hey, Ami, your mom's here!  And Mako-chan says to give Haruka her shoes to use as a doorstop."

            Going outside with the intent of following Minako upstairs, Makoto stopped and looked out over the walkway railing when she noticed the SUV with a small trailer hitched to the back of it.  Ami's mom stood beside it, talking to someone who was behind the trailer, presumably opening it, and obscured from Makoto's sight.  Kaya paused in her talking and looked up, waving when she saw Makoto on the walkway.

            Makoto waved back, then called up the stairs to Setsuna, "Could you tell Ami her mom's… here…"  Her voice trailed off and her eyes narrowed as if that would somehow change the visage of the person who had come around from behind the trailer.

            Appearing beside Setsuna at the top of the stairs, Ami replied as she started down, "Minako already told me."  When she reached the bottom and saw the look on Makoto's face, she asked, "What is it?"

            Makoto pointed over the railing.  "Saatchi-san?  He's the friend your mother was talking about?"

            "Hmm?"  Ami looked to where Makoto was pointing.  Her features grew worried, aware that this might be something of a sore spot for Makoto.  "Well," she said hesitantly, "my mom never said specifically who she was bringing, and I don't really know any of the people she's social with.  And we did know they were acquainted.  I suppose it makes sense that they would be friends."

            Haruka jammed Makoto's shoe against the bottom of the door, then gave a light, experimental tug to make sure it would stay in place.  A quick nod of approval, and she said to Minako, "Okay, it's holding.  Now let's go get that coffee table."

            Haruka made it past the small group of Makoto, Ami, and Hotaru without a problem.  Minako, however, was distracted by not only the camera, but what also seemed to be an interesting conversation.  She sidled up to the girls and looked over Ami's shoulder into the parking lot.

            With a smile of approval for Ami's mom's tastes, Minako said, "You know, Ami, your mom's boyfriend is kind of cute for an old guy."

            Minako wouldn't have thought it possible for Ami to go any paler than she already was, and yet that was exactly what happened.  Ami's eyes got wide as her head shook slightly in the negative.  "No, he isn't.  He isn't, he's…"

            "My obstetrician," interrupted Makoto.  Then to Ami, "He's her boyfriend?"

            "No!  She said he was a friend.  That's all."

            Sensing now would be a good time to remove herself, Minako backed away and pointed over her shoulder.  "I'm, uh, gonna go help Haruka.  Hotaru, you come with me."  Then she grabbed Hotaru and skittered quickly towards the door.

            "What's going on out there?" asked Haruka as Minako entered the apartment.

            A quick look down to make sure Hotaru wasn't filming, and Minako answered, "Ami's mom is dating Makoto's obstetrician."

            Haruka's eyebrows went up in surprise.  "Bet that makes for interesting dinner conversation."

            "Haruka," scolded Michiru from across the room.

            "What?" asked Haruka innocently.

            "Wait, there's more," said Minako at her conspiratorially, gossipy best.  "Ami doesn't know it.  Or she didn't."

            This confused Haruka.  "If Ami doesn't know, then how do you?"

            "Isn't it obvious?" answered Minako.  "Why else would he be here helping?  He's trying to impress the mother by winning points with the daughter.  Besides, they look cute together," she added with a grin.

            "Perhaps we should go down and help them with Ami's things," suggested Michiru.

            "Good idea," said Haruka.  "Then we can get our gossip first hand."

            The effect of Michiru's disapproval was completely ruined by the small smile she wore on her face.

            Things were getting a bit awkward, thought Makoto as she stood there beside Ami.  She knew they should be going down to greet Ami's mother, but she thought Ami should be the one to do it, and she wasn't moving at all.  Instead, Ami was standing and staring at the people in the parking lot, her lips moving just the tiniest bit.  Whether she was talking to herself or attempting to say something out loud, Makoto wasn't sure.

            "Ami…" started Makoto.

            "Do you think Minako's right?" asked Ami quietly.

            Makoto shrugged, feeling a bit helpless and uncertain in how she was supposed to answer this.  "You know how Minako is," she finally settled on.  "If your mom had shown up with Saatchi-san's nurse, she would have had them set up as a couple for no other reason than she has a cute haircut.  Besides, just because he's a guy it doesn't mean they're a couple.  For a long time my best friend was a guy, and nothing happened between us."

            That seemed to appease Ami somewhat, and she smiled.  "You're right, Mako-chan.  Anyway, Mom would have told me if she was seeing someone.  It's not likely she would be, in any case.  Not with the schedule she keeps."

            "Wonder who that is with Ami's mom?" said Rei as she leaned over the 3rd floor railing.

            "There's a simple way to find out," replied Setsuna.

            Rei grinned.  "We should help get Ami's things up here, shouldn't we?"

            "It looks like we might have a bit more help arriving, as well," said Setsuna, indicating the car that was pulling into the parking lot.

            "About time she got here.  I knew we should have told Usagi to be here an hour before the rest of us were going to be."

            Setsuna smiled.  "She isn't quite that late."

            Makoto followed Ami down the steps, her slower progress only partly by choice.  Ami was already hugging her mother when Makoto had only made it halfway down.  She watched the man with them, all of this feeling a bit strange.  She told herself he wouldn't be here if he had any issues with it, and while it was possible that Ami's mom hadn't told him the particulars of her daughter's relationship, he could easily figure it out on his own.  The simple fact that they hadn't brought Ami's bed should be enough of a tip off.

            Makoto relaxed a bit as Ami politely greeted Saatchi-san and he returned it.  She couldn't hold in the soft chuckle that formed when she saw the grin Kaya rewarded him with for the way he gave his greeting.  Maybe Minako was right after all.  If she was, things had gotten just that much stranger.

            Before she'd made it to the bottom step, a little purple blur ran past her with a squeal of "Chibi-usa!"  Michiru and Haruka were coming down behind her, following at a more leisurely pace.

            "The next time you move, Mako-chan," said Haruka as the three went down the rest of the way together, "make sure it's someplace with elevators."

            Chibi-usa opened the car door, and Luna and Artemis jumped out ahead of her.  Luna stretched her paws out in front of her as Artemis made his way over to Minako and Rei, who, along with Setsuna, had joined the others in the parking lot.

            Chibi-usa's eyes were tired and half closed when she climbed out of the back seat.  Away from the shelter of the car, the girl shivered and huddled into her coat as a cold gust of wind hit her.  Then she heard Hotaru's voice call her name, and she perked up considerably as she saw her friend hurrying over to her.

            Slowly opening the passenger side door, Usagi pulled herself out of the car.  She squinted against the early afternoon sunshine and shivered from the same chilly air that had hit Chibi-usa.  But before she could pull her jacket tighter or hide her gloved hands in her pockets, a box was thrust in front of her.

            "Don't forget this," said her mother as she held the cake box across the seat for Usagi to take.  "Your father should be home in a few hours.  Don't hurt yourself trying to lift heavy things.  If there's something you girls need help with, call home and I'll send your father over with Shingo."

           "All right, Mom," answered Usagi as she took the cake and moved away from the car.

            With a wave, Ikuko left her girls to their friends and headed back home.

            Minako picked up Artemis and moved off to the side with him alone.  When they were around the corner of the building and certain no one could see them, Minako set him down on a stone plant box so he was closer to her height.

            "Rei got me a really great present for Valentine's Day," said Minako as she reached behind her neck and undid the chain she wore.

            Artemis reached out a paw to pull the dangling ring a bit closer.  He noted the weight and color of the gold, as well as the fine detail of the etching around the outside, and concluded that this was no inexpensive trinket.  When he saw the inscription on the inside, his whiskers twitched.  Then Minako moved the chain away from him and removed the ring to slip on her left ring finger, and Artemis knew the band had been given as more than a simple Valentine's gift.

            "Mina?"

            "It was just the two of us, Artemis," said Minako quietly so no one would hear and come to investigate.  "There isn't anything that could have made it more special or perfect.  The only thing I don't like is that she caught me completely off guard.  I had no idea, so I didn't have a ring to give her.  She was acting pretty smug about it all, too."  A devious grin formed from the smile Minako was wearing.  "And I'm not quite done getting her back for it either."

            "I know that look," said Artemis warily.  "Mina, whatever it is you're thinking, don't you dare."

            Minako ignored him, a self amused chuckle slowly emerging from her lips.

            Haruka bowed and introduced herself to Ken.

            "Tenoh-san, it's an honor," replied Ken to Haruka's greeting.  "I've always been a fan of motor racing in all forms.  My son inherited the interest and took it up as a hobby.  You actually raced him once back when he dabbled on the junior circuit."  Ken decided to leave out the part about how it had been a blow to the boy's ego when he found out some years later he'd been repeatedly beaten by a girl.  Or how astounded Ken himself had been to find out Kaya's daughter was friends with the famous racer, and Kaya acted as if it was just some everyday little thing.

            Ego sufficiently boosted, Haruka moved to help unload the trailer.  She stood as things were handed out to her and set them off to the side for the other volunteers to start carrying upstairs.  After a few boxes were passed down, part of a piece of furniture was lifted down to her.  "You really came prepared, didn't you," she said to Ami, who stood nearby, when she recognized what she was being handed as the side to a crib.

            "Mom saved my old crib," answered Ami.  "We saw it when we were up in the attic yesterday, and she said we could have it if we wanted."

            "I've never been quite sure why I saved it," added Kaya.  "Ami was the first to use it, and I never intended to have any more children after her.  Something in me just hated the idea of giving it away."

            "It's a mom thing," said Makoto.  "Mine never got rid of mine, either.  I lost it in the first move, though.  The place I was going to had less space than the one I was leaving, and I was more concerned with them trying to take away my basketball hoop than I was with some old baby bed.  A ten-year-old's priorities," she said with a shrug.

            "Wow.  This is cute," said Haruka as the headboard piece was passed off the trailer.

            On the panel of light wood, a grassy hillside had been painted under a star filled sky.  On the hill, a flock of sheep lay sleeping.  However, there was one little sheep who sat awake at the top of the hill, just slightly apart from the others, staring up at the stars.

            "Ami's father," said Kaya.  "If you like that, you should have seen what he did to the rest of her room.  There wasn't a square inch of wall or ceiling left uncovered by the time she was born.  The landlord had a fit when we moved out.  Suffice to say, we didn't get the security deposit back."

            Ami smiled to herself at the vague memory of that room.  The best way she could think to describe it was as if her father had taken every fairytale book she would own as a child and drawn those pages on her walls so she was living inside her own storybook.  She had been sad to leave it behind, and she felt that same little twinge knowing whoever lived there now had likely painted over it.  She looked fondly at what was left of that room, glad to have this last remaining piece.  She was glad, also, to have the memory she thought went with it.  For though it had been her papa's painting, it was mother's arms she remembered holding her when she couldn't sleep and her mother's soft, singsong voice she remembered whispering, "The little sheep who couldn't sleep, so she sat up and counted stars."

            Blinking sleepily, for to her it was still too early to be working this hard, Usagi held the cake box out to Makoto.  "My mom made you a cake.  She says to wish you much luck and happiness in your new home."

            With a smile, Makoto took the box from Usagi.  "I'll call her and thank her later tonight.  I love your mom's cakes, especially the lemon ones," she said as she opened the lid to see what was inside.

            Usagi nodded vigorously in agreement, her mother's baking being a subject that was near and dear to her heart.

            Makoto laughed lightly at both her friend and what she found in the box.  It was indeed a lemon cake.  Normally, there would have been seven strawberries decorating the top – six along the edge and one in the middle.  The middle one, however, was missing, its absence made even more noticeable by the empty well of icing it had been sitting in.  And when she looked closely, there were the smallest traces of an errant finger swipe along the side.

            "What have we got here?" asked Minako as she came up and stood on tiptoe to peer over Makoto's shoulder.

            "Usagi's mom made us a cake," answered Makoto.  "But it looks like a little mouse got to it first."

            Minako chuckled and moved around to drape her arm over Usagi's shoulders.  "More like a little rabbit, right, Usagi?" she asked cheerily.

            Usagi didn't answer, her attention instead focused on the hand that was being casually waved around in front of her face.  The gold around Minako's finger glinted in the sunlight, holding Usagi's attention for several seconds before she grabbed Minako's wrist to hold her still.  Usagi's eyes crossed as she stared at the hand in front of her before they went wide and her mouth dropped open.

            With a gasp, Usagi cried, "Oh my gosh!  You got married!"  Then, holding Minako's hand up for everyone who was staring at them to see, she declared, "They got married!"

            Minako stood grinning ear to ear.  Makoto almost dropped the cake she was holding.  Haruka, having turned her head so quickly that she pulled a muscle, winced and did drop the box she had just picked up.  Setsuna and Michiru, the latter of which was hiding a giggle behind one delicate hand, had turned to look at Rei.  Rei, for her part, looked almost as surprised as everyone else.

            Chibi-usa, who had heard this story so many times she could recite it in her sleep, leaned over and whispered to Hotaru, "I told you today was going to be a big day.  Just wait til you hear how it all happened."

            Hotaru only nodded, her concentration now on her camera and her subjects.  This was going to be a very good picture, and she promised herself to find a way to thank her friend for making sure she remembered to bring her video camera.

            Watching and feeling like she was on the far outside of things, Kaya was more than a little confused.  For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why a 17-year-old would run off and get married without telling any of her closest friends about it first.  The first thought that popped into her head was unwelcome, but she couldn't help wondering if perhaps they were going to be needing another crib.  Then she noticed Setsuna bow to and congratulate a now blushing Rei, and the pieces very quickly fell into place.

            "Ami?" asked Kaya softly.  "Are Rei and Minako…"

            Ami nodded, seeing no reason in trying to keep her friends' secret any longer.

            Kaya nodded back in response.  After everything that had happened recently, she wondered why she'd felt any surprise at all.  She took a deep breath, finally coming to smile for the pretty, young blonde who was beaming as she recounted the events of her 'wedding.'  And once again the definition of 'normal life' in her daughter's world shifted and pulled her along for the ride.

            Hotaru held her camera steady on Minako as she spoke.  Usagi was still holding on to Minako's hand, watching the girl with stars in her eyes.  Then Minako got to the part about the inscription and what Rei had told her it meant.  Usagi sighed dramatically and exclaimed how romantic it all was.

            The camera then moved over to Rei.  She looked a bit embarrassed, her cheeks tinged pink.  But it wasn't the bad kind of embarrassed, Hotaru noted.  It was the kind of embarrassed you got when you were proud of yourself for something and wanted people to know about it, but they were paying just a bit too much attention to you for it.

            Haruka patted Rei on the back by way of showing her admiration, and Hotaru grinned at the way the corner of Rei's mouth turned up at the same time her cheeks took on more color.  Rei waved her hand in an 'of course' sort of gesture and said something Hotaru couldn't hear.

            Hotaru panned her camera back over to Minako and Usagi, getting everyone in the shot along the way.  The two blondes were practically jumping up and down in giddy, teenage excitement when the battery light on the video camera started to blink.

            "I'll be right back," said Hotaru to Chibi-usa before she hurried over to Haruka.  "Haruka-papa, my battery's dying.  I need to get the other one out of the car."

            "Okay," said Haruka as she fished her keys out of her pocket.  "Be careful."

            "I will," answered Hotaru over her shoulder as she ran off.

            She had just put the key into the lock when Hotaru noticed the man across the street.  His car was dark and partially obscured by the bushes around the apartment complex.  She probably wouldn't have noticed him at all if he hadn't had that really cool looking camera.

            Hotaru raised her hand to wave, but stopped herself short.  The man was obviously in the middle of a shot, and Hotaru knew how annoying it could be when someone messed up a good picture.  Judging from where he was aiming, he was taking pictures of all of them in the parking lot.  It made Hotaru happy to think that someone else thought her family was special enough for their pictures.  So, as a way of offering a like kindness to a kindred spirit, Hotaru raised her camera and hit the record button.


	19. Moving Day pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 19:  Ami and Mako-chan's Moving Day – pt 2

            Looking up from the box she was rummaging through, Ami took a moment to look around her new home and noticed her mother was still talking quietly to Haruka.  Her curiosity rose at what they could be discussing so intently, but, knowing she wasn't likely to get an answer any time soon, Ami put the question aside.  

            Everyone was upstairs now, the last of the furniture inside and near its final location.  The boxes scattered around were more chaos than she was used to, but at least it was an organized chaos.  Her labeling system had seen to that.  Though some things were still being moved about, balanced, and looked through as ideas for where things should go were thrown around.

            Her mother and Haruka finally parted, Haruka heading into the kitchen where Michiru and Makoto had disappeared to not that long ago.  Finished with the box, Ami followed after the blonde.

            Carefully stepping around Hotaru and Chibi-usa, who were huddled together on the floor watching something on Hotaru's video camera, Ami entered the kitchen.  But instead of finding Makoto, she saw only Michiru and Haruka.  "Do you know where Mako-chan went?"

            "She said she wanted to check things over downstairs one last time," answered Michiru.  Sitting on the counter beside the sink with Haruka standing if front of her, Michiru finished tying the plant hanger around the hook Haruka had put beside the window earlier.  "There.  Just the way she wanted it."

            "Thank you," answered Ami on her way out.

            "No problem," said Haruka as her hands settled on Michiru's waist and gently tugged her down off the counter.

            This time having to step over Minako as well as the two little girls, Ami made her way to the front door.  She paused to tell Rei where she was going, then left her friend to Minako's call of, "Come see this.  Hotaru's going to rewind this part for you."

            Downstairs, Ami opened the door and quietly stepped into the apartment.  Makoto stood in the center of the empty livingroom, hands in pockets and back to the door.  Walking up behind her, Ami slid her arms around Makoto and rested her cheek against the girl's back.  They stood there in silence for a moment, until Ami felt Makoto take a deep breath and then release it in a slow sigh.

            Ami's arms loosened as Makoto turned so she was facing the smaller girl.  "I always leave something behind," said Makoto.  "No matter how many times I go through the cabinets and drawers, when I get to where I'm going, I've lost something."

            "What about this time?"

            Makoto smiled and draped her arms over Ami's shoulders.  "I've got everything this time."  She bent her head to Ami's, their lips coming together in a slow kiss.  Pulling back slightly, she rested her forehead against Ami's for a moment, then said, "I'm going to miss this place, though.  I know it's silly.  We're going to be right upstairs, in a place that's almost a carbon copy of this one.  But there are a lot of memories here.  Study sessions, sleepovers, the first time Usagi burned something during a cooking lesson, the first time you told me you loved me."  She grinned and her voice got lower as she continued, "Our first kiss.  The first time we made love."

            Her cheeks quickly going from pink to bright red, Ami hid her face against Makoto's chest and said softly, "We can make new memories, Mako-chan.  They'll be just as good as the old ones."

            Makoto nodded as she held Ami to her.  "Yeah.  We should invite Usagi over next weekend for a cooking lesson."

            Ami looked up, startled by that response.  She had been quite certain they were talking about something else.

            "What?" asked Makoto.  "It isn't home until Usagi sets off the smoke alarm."  Then the straight face Makoto was wearing cracked, and she started to laugh.  "You should see the look on your face."

            Ami's eyes ducked down even as a light giggle escaped her.  "Let's go back upstairs, Mako-chan.  They'll all start decorating for us if we leave them alone for too long, and I'd like to see what amused Minako so much on Hotaru's video."

            Outside, Ami's mom was standing and waiting for them.  Her coat was pulled tightly around her and there was color in her cheeks that made the resemblance Ami couldn't see stand out even more.  "We're going to get ready and leave," said Kaya to the girls when they came out.  She stepped up to Makoto and took the girl's hands in hers.  "I know everyone has already wished you so much luck you'll probably find a pot of gold on your doorstep in the morning, but I'm going to do it anyway.  Good luck, Makoto.  I expect you to take good care of yourself as well as my daughter."

            "Yes, ma'am," answered Makoto.  "I will.  And thank you for helping us.  Saatchi-san as well."

            "You're welcome."  Kaya then turned to Ami.  "Walk me down to the car and say goodbye."

            Ami walked silently beside her mother to the parking lot where Ken had the car running and warming up.  They stood for a minute, staring out across the cars inside the lot.

            "You know," said Kaya, her voice breaking the silence, "I swore I wasn't going to cry when I left you here."  She looked down at Ami, her eyes getting misty.

            Ami moved a step closer to her mother and wrapped her arms around Kaya's waist.  "I love you, Mom."

            Kaya returned her daughter's hug and pulled back her tears with a chuckle.  "Now don't go getting all sentimental on me or I will start to cry."  A bit more quietly, she added, "I wouldn't have survived the first year of your life without my mother.  I don't know how much help I can really be to you – you always seem to figure things out all on your own – but remember that I'm here.  And remember to come and visit your poor, old mom every once in a while."

            Ami smiled and nodded.  "I promise."

            "You take care of her, too," said Kaya, indicating the girl who stood on the second floor landing and watched them.  "Everyone needs to be taken care of sometimes, even the ones who think they don't.  That reminds me.  Call your grandmother.  Tell her you've moved, if nothing else.  Maybe write a letter to Gram, as well.  Mom will have to read it to her with her eyes the way they are these days, but it will make her happy to know her favorite is thinking of her."

            Ami nodded once again, and Kaya found herself imitating the gesture.  Then Kaya took a slow breath, gave Ami's hands one last squeeze, and let go, taking a step back as she did.

            "I don't want to keep Saatchi-san waiting for too long," said Kaya.  "I'm on days this week if you need to get me."

            "I remember," answered Ami.  "I'll call."

            With nothing left to help her stall, Kaya walked over to the car and got in the passenger side.  She waved once more to Ami and watched as her child went back up the stairs to the young woman who was waiting for her.  A few minutes later, staring out the side window as the car sat at the entrance to the parking lot, Kaya felt something laid on top of the hands she had folded in her lap.  She looked down and grinned, then picked up the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.  Looking over to the man next to her, she smiled at him in thanks, then reached a hand up to briefly touch his cheek.

            Ken smiled back in understanding, holding her eyes with his for several seconds before starting them on their way home.

            Back upstairs, Makoto and Ami found all of their friends settling in around the television.  Haruka and Rei were on the floor connecting the wires between the TV and VCR, with Hotaru sitting beside them holding the ready converter tape.

            "The screen on the video camera was too small," explained Minako.  "We couldn't all fit, so we decided to hook up the VCR.   Hope you don't mind."

            Makoto shook her head while claiming the last remaining seat.  "Nah, this should be fun."

            When everything was connected and working, Hotaru pushed the tape in, then hurried over to sit between Michiru and Setsuna on the couch.  Haruka squeezed in beside Michiru on the opposite side, and Rei sat on the floor with the others.

            The tape started to play, and Hotaru's desk was the first thing they saw.  When the little girl appeared on the screen and started to speak, the Hotaru on the couch grabbed Michiru's arm and hid her eyes against it.  A happy grin on her face, Hotaru shyly peeked out from behind her mama's arm to watch.

            A newly wakened Haruka appeared on the screen, and, amid snickers and giggles from the girls around them, Michiru leaned in close to her lover's ear.  "Haruka," said Michiru quietly.  "This isn't, by chance, the same tape you were playing with this morning, is it?"

            Haruka smiled back with just a hint of worry.  "Heh, well…"  Then she looked at Minako.  "Maybe we should skip this part."

            "Are you kidding," laughed Minako.  "This part is priceless."

            The tape kept on rolling, and Haruka ran out of time to stop it.  She leaned back against the couch in defeat, suffered through one, quick 'I'll get you for this later' look from Michiru, then chuckled along with everyone else as Hotaru tried to wake up the sleeping beauty.  Michiru, elegant and graceful thing that she was, took it all in good humor.  It helped that said humor was being doled out to everyone in equal amounts.

            "Ack!" exclaimed Makoto when she saw herself for the first time on the tape.  "Why didn't anyone tell me I'd gotten that wide?  And you wanted me to go swimming," she accused Ami, as if that was some terrible crime.

            The smaller girl only smiled up at her from her place by Makoto's feet as Minako replied, "Don't worry, Mako-chan.  The camera always adds ten pounds."

            "Only ten?" grumbled Makoto in response.

            A few more grumbles and laughs were heard as the tape continued onward.  An excited squeal led to a tease.  Minako and Rei were announced as being married, and, as the camera was capturing the faces of everyone who stood around the two congratulating them, the picture wavered just slightly.

            "My battery started dying," explained Hotaru as the picture dimmed out.  "I had to go get a fresh one from the car."

            The darkness on screen faded back into light, and the focus zoomed in slowly to the occupant of a parked car.  A man with dark hair held a camera to his eye.  He adjusted the lens, snapped a few more pictures, then lowered the camera so he could reach inside the car for something.  The something turned out to be a cigarette.  The man turned back to look in the direction his camera had been pointed and lifted a lighter.  It took several clicks to get a flame, and just as he was lighting up, Hotaru's filming of him stopped.

            The happy and humorous sounds in the room had ceased during that short scene.  Haruka reached down and took the remote from Minako.  She hit the stop button, and the TV screen went blue.

            "Hotaru, who was that?" asked Haruka, her voice harsher than she realized.

            Hotaru shifted uncomfortably, easily able to feel the change in mood and believing it was because of something she had done.  She felt like everyone was staring at her, but not like before.  It had become the bad kind of attention she didn't like.  Holding Michiru's arm even tighter in front of her, the girl tried to disappear behind her mama.  "I don't know," she said quietly.  "I just saw him taking our picture, so I took his, too.  I'm sorry."

            "There's nothing to be sorry about," said Michiru gently.  "You didn't do anything wrong.  It just surprised us to see him.  That's all."  She looked around to Haruka, nodded after a moment's silence, then turned to Setsuna.

            Setsuna understood the looks on her friends' faces.  Reaching out, she took Hotaru and pulled the little girl onto her lap so Michiru could get up.

            When Michiru and Haruka stood and started towards the door, Makoto called after them, "Where are you going?"

            "To see if he's still out there," answered Haruka.  "Don't do anything until we get back."

            Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence as they waited for Haruka and Michiru.  Luna jumped up in the window to see if she could spot the girls from the apartment.  Artemis was pacing slowly beneath her, his tail twitching anxiously.  Chibi-usa, noticing her friend's sudden nervousness, climbed up on the couch beside Setsuna and took Hotaru's hand in hers.  She smiled at the girl, and got a weak one in return, before Hotaru turned her eyes back to Setsuna.

            On Setsuna's lap, Hotaru motioned for her to lean down so she could whisper in her ear.  "Setsuna-mama," whispered the little girl, hoping no one would pay any more attention to her.  "He was only taking our picture.  Why is everyone so upset?"

            Setsuna smiled reassuringly at the child and answered quietly, "Everyone's just a bit concerned because they don't know why he was doing it.  It makes them a bit nervous."

            "But…" started Hotaru, only to be interrupted by her parents returning.

            "Whoever he was, he's gone now," said Haruka.

            "What do you think he was doing out there?" asked Minako.

            Haruka only shrugged.

            "At the risk of sounding egotistical," said Michiru, "it is possible someone noticed either Haruka or myself and thought they could get some good press from it.  It's happened before, especially when people realize we have Hotaru with us."

            "But that early on a Sunday morning?" asked Makoto.  "I know my neighbors can be really nosey, but around here the only people who show signs of life before noon on a Sunday are the kids."

            "It's also not likely anyone would have had enough time," added Ami.  "According to the date stamp on the video, we had only been out there for about 45 minutes when Hotaru saw him.  For someone to see you, get in touch with the press, then for a photographer to get himself together and arrive here, would likely take more time than he was given."

            Several heads nodded in agreement.

            "So he was just some strange guy watching us?" asked Usagi.  She gave a little shudder.  "Creepy.  You know, my dad's always warning me about men like that.  I've never really seen one, though."

            "When was the last time you transformed?" asked Haruka suddenly.

            "Last week.  Luna and Artemis ran us through drills," answered Rei.  Catching on to what Haruka was thinking, she asked, "You don't think that has anything to do with why he was watching us, do you?"

            "It's a possibility," replied Haruka.

            "It's a worse case scenario," added Luna.  "It's much more likely he's just a run of the mill pervert with a thing for young girls.  Not that something like that should be taken lightly."

            "Should we call the police?" asked Makoto.

            "And tell them what?" answered Haruka.  "We don't even know for certain it was us he was photographing.  Though I don't know what else it could have been.  Besides, if we assume a 'worse case scenario,' we might get into more trouble than we can handle by bringing in anyone else."

            "So now what?" asked Rei.  "We can't just pretend we didn't see that."

            "We take precautions," said Setsuna.  "I think it would be wise if, for the time being, no one went anywhere alone.  Especially after dark.  I also think it would be best if Chibi-usa and Hotaru didn't go anywhere without one of us accompanying them.  Transformations should be kept to emergencies, as well."

            "I agree," replied Luna.  "None of them will be hurt by a few missed practices."

            "You're being a little paranoid, don't you think?" asked Minako.  "I mean, if it is just some creep, it's not like we can't take care of him on our own.  One Crescent Beam, and he'll be singing soprano and walking with a permanent limp."

            "But you would have to transform first," answered Michiru.  "If something were to happen before you had the chance, then no matter how powerful your attacks may be, they wouldn't do you any good."

            "Ah.  I get it, now."

            "Okay, we're agreed," said Haruka.  "No transforming except in emergencies.  No going anywhere alone.  That includes school.  I take Hotaru in the morning and one of us always picks her up.  It's easy enough for me to swing by and get Chibi-usa."

            "The rest of us all walk together," jumped in Rei before Haruka could start handing out driving assignments.  "None of us goes very far alone, and there are always other people around before we meet up.  If I leave a little earlier than usual, I can meet Minako halfway to Usagi's, and we can get her from there before meeting up with Ami and Makoto.  But you better be on time, Odango, or you'll be going to school in your nightgown."

            "Some friend you are," replied Usagi, crossing her arms and sticking out her tongue.  If Rei was going to be like that about it, then Usagi wasn't about to say 'thank you' or admit how much better it made her feel to not have to walk even a short distance alone when some creepy guy could be out there watching them.

            Haruka ignored the usual give and take between Usagi and Rei as she thought this over.  Finally, she nodded in agreement.  Then her eyes settled on Makoto.

            "Oh, no," said Makoto before Haruka had a chance to say anything.  "I know that look.  Just because I can't transform, doesn't mean I need to be treated like some little kid who needs her hand held whenever she crosses the street.  I can take care of myself.  Besides, I have Ami.  Don't let that innocent, girl-next-door look fool you.  She's a killer."

            The image of an enraged Ami appeared unbidden in Usagi's mind -- red eyes, flaring nostrils, steaming ears, and all.  Her hands came up quickly and covered her mouth to try and stop the burst of laughter she felt forming.  The gesture was largely unsuccessful, the sound helping break the tension that had formed in the room.

            Haruka chuckled along with Usagi.  Relenting, she said, "Okay, Mako-chan.  But I was going to suggest me coming by to pick up you and Ami, anyway.  I thought maybe the walk might be getting too long for you."

            "Thanks, but it's not that far," answered Makoto.  "I can still handle it."

            "Well, the offer's there whenever you want it," answered Haruka.

            Makoto offered thanks once more before letting the subject drop.

            As they talked, Ami's attention drifted to Hotaru.  The child had pulled back from everyone as Setsuna held her.  Once before, as they watched Hotaru timidly interact with the children in her swim class, Michiru had mentioned how it surprised her that even though Saturn could face down the worst of evil without batting an eye, Hotaru seemed so intimidated by children her own age.  Ami understood that feeling, though she hadn't said it at the time.  She thought perhaps she understood what was happening now, as well, and she felt sorry for the child.

            Getting up from her spot on the floor and going over to her so she could speak more quietly, Ami asked, "Hotaru, I don't think you ever got to take the picture of everyone that you wanted.  Would you like to do that now, before everyone starts to leave?"

            Hotaru thought about this for a moment, but before answering, turned to Haruka.  "May I, Haruka-papa?"  When Haruka nodded to her, a small smile began to form.  "I'd like to if everyone says it's okay," she said to Ami.

            Cheerful nods and agreements were offered quickly, everyone glad for the change in subject.  Hotaru got her camera ready as the group crowded together on and around the couch.

            "Someone's sitting on me."

            "My foot!"

            "Ouch, you didn't have to poke that hard!"

            "Scoot over.  I can't breathe."

            "You have to get closer.  I still can't see everyone."

            "Come on, settle down.  Kami, I'm surrounded by three-year-olds."

            A little more rustling around and rearrangements, and everyone was squished into the camera frame.  "Everyone ready?" questioned Hotaru before starting the timer.

            Given a consensus of 'yes,' Hotaru hit the timer button and hurried over to her spot in the group.  Fifteen seconds ticked by, and the moment was captured in a flash of light, smiles, and bunny ears.

            They sat together for awhile longer, until Usagi's father came to get her and Chibi-usa.  He offered to take Minako and Rei home as well.  Haruka and the others left just after that.

            Makoto closed the door after saying goodbye to the last of her friends.  She turned the lock, then looked over to Ami with a tired smile.  She had accepted that nothing in their lives would ever be simple, and she was beginning to realize that it was likely very little would ever go as planned.  But at least they had their friends and, most importantly, each other.  Like this, they could get through anything.  

*            *            *

            Hotaru sat patiently on her bed curling and uncurling her toes while Michiru sat behind her and worked at the last of the knots in her damp hair.  When the last small tangle was released, Hotaru heard her mama make a quiet sound of triumphant for beating what the conditioner hadn't.  Michiru ran the brush through Hotaru's hair a few more times, then set it on the nightstand.

            "There," said Michiru as she removed the towel from Hotaru's shoulders.  "All done.  Your hair should be completely dry by the time we finish reading."

            Hotaru reached for her pajama top and pulled it over her head.  As she negotiated her arms into the sleeves, she asked, "Can we go to the mall tomorrow?  I used all my film."

            "How many do you have this time?"

            "Only three.  Half of it's from my field trip and when I went to the park with Setsuna-mama and Chibi-usa."  Hotaru took the towel Michiru was holding and walked it over to her laundry basket.  Before going back to the bed, she stopped at her desk to take the spent rolls of film from a drawer.  Hotaru lined up the three canisters carefully along the edge of the desk and stared at them for several seconds.

            Still looking at the film canisters, Hotaru said quietly, "I take a lot of pictures, don't I?  When I see things I like or that make me happy, I want other people to be able to see them, too, like Setsuna-mama said when she gave me my camera.  And people make the best pictures sometimes."  She looked over to Michiru, worry clear on her small face.  "Do you think anyone was ever afraid of me because I didn't tell them what I was doing?  I don't want people to be afraid of me."

           Michiru shook her head and motioned for Hotaru to come over to her.  When she did, Michiru took the child in her arms.  "No one could ever be afraid of you just for taking a picture.  You're too kind and gentle a person for anyone to be afraid of you at all, I would imagine."

            Hotaru's head rested against Michiru's chest, and her fingers played absently with the end of a lock of Michiru's hair.  "Everyone got upset earlier, though, because someone did that without asking.  Haruka-papa got angry and thought he wanted to do something bad to us.  It was only a picture."

            Michiru hesitated for a moment, unsure of how best to explain.  "It wasn't just because of the pictures," she said slowly.  "It was because he was hiding.  When people try to hide what they're doing, it's often because what they're doing is something they shouldn't be.  That's what worried everyone.  Your Haruka-papa got angry because of how much she cares for our friends and how much she loves you.  She doesn't want anything to happen to you."  Michiru shifted so Hotaru was looking up at her and smiled at the girl.  "And you, Hotaru, have no need to worry about how others see you, because you never hide.  When people see you, they see a pretty little girl who has found something in them that's good and special.  Something, perhaps, they didn't realize was there before.  That's why they always smile back."

            Hotaru returned the smile Michiru was giving her.  Tightening her hold around her mama, she said, "I love you, Michiru-mama."

            "I love you, too," answered Michiru softly.  She held her child for several moments more, then released her to reach over and pick up the book that was lying on the nightstand.  "Ready?"

            Hotaru nodded.  "We're on chapter four.  It's bookmarked."

            Together, the two of them settled against the pillows at the head of the bed.  Hotaru rested against Michiru's side as one of Michiru's arms went around her.  Comfortable with the blankets over her, Hotaru held the book as Michiru started to read.

*            *            *

            Makoto finished brushing her hair and placed her brush in the dresser drawer.  Turning, she paused in front of the mirror that hung on the closet door.  For a moment, she stared, turning her body to view it at different angles.  When she stopped, she stood in profile, her hands moving over her stomach and pulling her nightshirt tight around her form.

            With a shake of her head and a huge sigh, Makoto said to her reflection, "Pregnant or not, I know how to handle myself in a fight.  But it's probably a good thing that I can't transform.  I'd look worse in a fuku than I do in a bathing suit."

            "I think you'd look cute in a bathing suit," said Ami as she leaned against the doorframe and watched her partner with a grin on her face.

            Makoto smirked.  "You look cute in a bathing suit.  I can barely fit into my own shoes anymore.  Tell me," said Makoto, her fingers tapping against the side of her belly.  "How is it if I'm only carrying around three pounds of baby, I've managed to gain almost twenty?"

            Coming completely into the room, Ami situated herself between Makoto and the mirror.  She placed her hands over Makoto's and said, "I could give you the very long and very boring scientific reason for why all of these things are going on inside of you.  Or, we could just go to bed, and I can give you the much more enjoyable explanation for why you still look cute in a bathing suit."

            Makoto smiled.  Her hand moved out from under Ami's and up to play with a lock of blue hair.  After letting the strands sift through her fingers for several seconds, she carefully tucked them behind Ami's ear, then leaned forward to lay a kiss on Ami's forehead.  "I love you," she said.  "For everything.  Even the stuff I complain about."  Then, giving the girl's hand a tug, added, "Come on.  You had the right idea when you said bed.  Too much happened today, and I'll be glad when this day is officially over and done with."

            Ami followed Makoto over to the bed, and, after a bit of pillow punching and rearrangement, both were comfortably settled.  Ami curled against Makoto's side as the other girl closed her eyes.  Her hand began to play over the front of Makoto's nightshirt, slowly pulling it up so she could slip a hand underneath.  Finding her target, Ami's fingers began to draw random shapes and squiggles over the spot she'd seen Makoto favoring.  She was rewarded a few minutes later when she felt a few tiny kicks.

            One arm around Ami and the other behind her head, Makoto relaxed and let Ami play.  This was the thing that had surprised her the most as she got to know Ami on a more intimate level.  The girl liked to touch.  Not a clingy sort of touching like the way Usagi so often did with Mamoru, but a small, almost gentle sort of thing she would only do when no one else was around.

            When they would lie together at night, just like they were now, Ami would start to run her fingers over Makoto's arms and shoulders.  Sometimes, she would trace them over lips or around eyes, but inevitably those fingers would travel down to rest on Makoto's belly.  There, Ami's hand would rest warm against Makoto's skin as her fingers stroked slowly.  Or those same fingers would start to draw shapes or tap out simple patterns as she waited for a response from the little boy within.  Most times, those playful touches would lead to more serious and intimate ones.  Other times, the gentleness behind them would lull Makoto to sleep.  And always when she woke, Ami would be there beside her, some part of her making physical contact.

            "What do you think my mom calls him?" asked Ami out of nowhere.

            Ami's palm was flat against Makoto's stomach, and all of her concentration seemed to be focused on the area, so Makoto naturally assumed that was what Ami was asking about.  A crooked grin forming on her face, Makoto quipped, "That annoying little thing that ruined my daughter's life?"

            Makoto heard a small giggle, then Ami replied, "No, I don't mean the baby.  And you know she doesn't think that.  I mean Saatchi-san.  Whenever she's mentioned him to me, she always calls him 'Saatchi-san.'  What do you suppose she calls him when they're alone?"

            Biting back the first smart replies of possible endearments that popped into her head, Makoto said instead, "I don't know.  I guess it depends on how close they are."

            "Mmmm," murmured Ami, her index finger beginning to move slowly back and forth as she thought.  "Mom obviously respects him professionally," she mused, "or she wouldn't have recommended him to you.  And they must know each other fairly well personally.  I don't think he would have helped us the way he did otherwise.  Perhaps they are… close."

            "Are you okay with that?"

            "Yes.  It's a bit odd to think about.  I've never really thought of my mother as anything but my mother and the doctor everyone else sees her as.  It's hard trying to picture her as something else, especially as someone's date.  She shouldn't have to be alone just because of that, though."  Ami smiled.  "My mom is one of those people who think they can do it all alone, and she has for a long time.  I think it would be nice if she didn't always have to."

            Makoto pulled Ami a little tighter against her side and kissed the top of her head.  "That's very thoughtful and mature of you.  I just hope I can follow your example."

            Ami tilted her head up and asked, "What do you mean?"

            "Well," answered Makoto, her voice teasing, "I'm in an awkward position here.  I mean, my mother-in-law is sleeping with my doctor.  Almost makes me wonder what their pillow talk is like."

            For an instant, Ami's eyes went wide right before she buried her face against Makoto.  "Mako-chan!" came her muffled complaint.  "You were the one who said they were most likely just friends!"

            "I thought you said you were okay with this," replied Makoto as she gave Ami's side a poke.

            Ami jumped from the tickle Makoto's finger caused, curling up a bit more as a result.  Then she turned her head so one eye could peek up at Makoto.  "I am, more or less.  But there are some things I'd rather not have to think about, especially in relation to my mother.  Ever.  No matter how okay I may be with it."

            "Fair enough," answered Makoto.  She turned slowly onto her side so she was facing Ami, the other girl's head resting against her arm.  Makoto used her free hand to tilt Ami's head so she could see her eyes, then gently stroked the backs of her fingers against Ami's cheek.  "You have pretty eyes," she said softly, and smiled at how that could still make Ami blush.  Then she leaned in and pressed her lips to one warm cheek.

            Ami snuggled closer and turned so her lips met Makoto's.  Together this way, both girls let what was left of the day slip away without them.

*            *            *

            The timer beside the bed dinged, signaling to Seki that the last stage of the film developing was done.  He snuffed out his cigarette and went back into the makeshift darkroom he'd set up in the bathroom of the hotel.

            A little more work, and the film he'd taken this afternoon was hanging up in front of him.  Seki stared at the images, shaking his head.  This wasn't good, especially with the year's biggest fundraiser only three weeks away, and it was going to put a rush on their plans. 

            Vibration in his pocket pulled Seki's attention away from the photos.  He pulled out his cellular and held it to his ear.  "Hirano."

            "It's Kimiko," said a female voice.  "I got your message.  What's going on?"

            "It's about time you got back to me," said Seki crossly.  "I called you five hours ago."

            "Don't start with me, Seki," came an equally cross response.  "Just tell me what the problem is."

            "They're married."

            "What!?" asked Kimiko so loudly Seki had to hold the phone away from his ear.  "How is that even possible?  Forget that they're both underage.  They're both girls.  It's not legal."

            "Legalities aside, it's what they're saying," answered Seki as he went back over to his bed to light another cigarette.  "That blonde with the hair stood in the middle of an apartment complex and announced it loud enough for everyone who lived there to hear.  Christ, I was half a block away, and I heard her.  I pity her boyfriend."

            Kimiko heaved a sigh into the receiver.  "Am I supposed to tell him this?"

            "No," replied Seki.  "You're supposed to tell him he needs to make a decision about how we proceed.  Rei's discretionary level has reached zero.  It's only a matter of time before someone finds out and we lose whatever advantage we have over the situation."  He took a drag off his cigarette, imaging the unhappy expression on his coworker's face at what he was about to say.  "Our best bet now is to move forward with our original plan."

            "It's a bad idea," answered Kimiko without missing a beat, just the way Seki knew she would.  "I said it before, and I'll say it again.  This will backfire on us worse than anything else."

            "Whatever," said Seki.  "You're the only one who feels that way, and you've been outvoted.  Just do your job and tell him what I've told you.  I'll be back in the morning with the prints from this trip."  He hung up the phone without waiting for a response.  Reclining back on the bed, Seki wondered if he had enough time left tonight to find something to do in this town that didn't involve politics or teenage girls.       


	20. Rumors

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 20:  Rumors

            Fumi had never been much of a morning person, which was why, she supposed, she disliked having to do the morning classroom chores so much.  Especially on Monday mornings.  Even more especially on the Monday mornings when Yukari would be standing outside the classroom waiting for her with the newest bit of weekend gossip.  Not that she wasn't glad to see Yukari.  On the contrary, Fumi was always glad to see her friend.  It was just that she would have preferred Yukari wait until lunchtime to give her the latest scoop, when she would be awake enough to enjoy it properly.

            Across the room from Fumi, another of her friends, Shiko, paused in arranging the flowers on the window shelf and laughed at what Yukari was telling them.  "Think about what you're saying, Yukari.  It's ludicrous."

            Sitting on a desktop, Yukari shook her head.  "I'm telling you, they were practically cuddling.  Everyone saw it.  Not only that, Mizuno was smiling.  I've known her since junior high, and Mizuno never smiles."

            "That's just as silly," returned Shiko.  "Of course she smiles.  She's just never smiled at you."

            Yukari smirked.  "Guess she was saving them all for Kino."

            Both girls giggled at that as Fumi tried to form something coherent around the information she was being given.  Leaning on the broom handle she was holding, Fumi rested her chin atop her hands and stared at Yukari as she thought.  Finally, she said, "Okay, I might give you Mizuno, but only because I've never seen her with any boys or pay any attention to Sato every time he tries to flirt with her.  But not Kino.  Come on, Yukari, just look at her.  There isn't a thing about her that says 'I like girls,' and one heck of a thing that says she doesn't."

            "Phft," commented Yukari with a dismissive wave of her hand.  "Yuu doesn't count."

            "Yeah," answered Fumi, her voice dripping sarcasm.  "I'm sure Kino says that very same thing each and every day."

            Their teacher suddenly sliding open the door startled all three girls.  Fumi and Shiko snapped back to their chores as Yukari skittered off the desk only to stand there looking lost for lack of anything to do in a classroom that wasn't hers.

            Yukiko came through the door, precariously balancing some of the equipment she would be using for first period's lab.  She let it fall from her arms to the desktop, luck being the only thing keeping it all from breaking.  Then she turned to the girls in the room.  "Good morning," she said happily, one corner of her mouth turning up in a sly grin.

            "Good morning, Kume-sensei," said the girls all at once.

            Yukiko turned to address Yukari.  "I'm surprised to see you here so early, Itoh.  Making yourself useful, are you?" she asked, her voice a bit teasing to keep the mood light.  It was the least she could do, especially after the girls had provided her with such an amusing bit of conversation.

            Yukari grinned self-consciously.  "I'm more likely just slowing them down, Sensei."

            "We can't have that, now can we?" replied Yukiko jovially.  "Come on, Itoh.  You can help me get the rest of the equipment in here.  Think of it as a head start for when you help me this afternoon for your own class."

            Yukari suppressed a groan and tried very hard not to roll her eyes at her own stupidity.  She noticed her friends trying to hide smiles at what she had walked into, and stuck her tongue out at them just before she followed her teacher out of the room.

*            *            *

            Yukiko made her way into the teacher's lounge and found Keiko sitting in their usual spot, her lunch already set out in front of her.  The younger teacher took a bite out of an apple slice as Yukiko took the seat across from her.

            "You'll never guess what I heard this morning," said Yukiko amusedly as she began to pull out her own lunch.  "Itoh and two of my other girls were talking about who hooked up with who over the weekend.  Valentine's and all that.  You know how these kids can get.  Anyway, they finally landed on Kino, and don't you know, they've somehow managed to pair her up with Mizuno."  The teacher laughed, her green eyes sparkling as she did.  "I wish I'd seen what they did to come up with that one.  I swear, Keiko, that's one strange bit of gossip not even I would give any credit to."

            Keiko smiled knowingly.  "It does seem a bit out of the blue, doesn't it?" she said, humor in her soft voice.

            Yukiko regarded the woman across from her through narrowed eyes, her chopsticks and first bite of lunch paused halfway to her mouth.  After a second, she let her food fall back to its container and said flatly, "You know something."

            Keiko only grinned and took another bite of her apple.

            "Oh, come on, Keiko.  You can't keep holding out on me like this.  When you find out something, you must share."

            "Now, now, Yuki.  I don't really know as much as you think I do.  Though what I found out might lend some credence to the rumors you heard."

            Yukiko's eyes widened slightly at the nickname Keiko rarely used for her.  "'Yuki'?  Oh, this ought to be good."

            Keiko nodded, thinking for a moment about how much she would say.  "It's amusing that you heard this from who you did, because I was just speaking with her father in the guidance office this morning.  Itoh-san and I are trying to work out some things regarding Kino-san's schedule for next term.  It just so happens that one of our problems was solved for us.  Or it might be, if both girls agree.  You see, Kino-san now has a live-in tutor.  She and Mizuno-san are sharing an address."

            "You're kidding!" gasped Yukiko.  "They're living together?  Alone-together as in just them or is Mizuno's mother with them?"

            "It looks like it's just the two of them, but we aren't certain," answered Keiko.  "Itoh-san was going to speak with them about it this afternoon."

            Leaning back in her chair, Yukiko crossed her arms over her chest and slowly shook her head.  "I never would have believed it," she said quietly.  Then she remembered, "But there was that one time I caught them hugging on each other in the gym.  Kino looked pretty upset at the time, so I just shooed them out so I could start practice.  I wonder…  Lover's quarrel?  Making up after a lover's quarrel?"

            "Kume-sensei," warned Keiko lightly, the more formal tone she used most often back in place.

            "Don't worry, Keiko," replied Yukiko.  "I know where to draw the line in open speculation about my students.  Although," drew out Yukiko as she scanned the room, a devilish grin on her face.  "Have you seen Kato yet?"

            "I'm afraid to ask why you want to know that."

            "Don't look so concerned," answered Yukiko as she got up to pursue the history teacher.  "I just want to play with him for a bit.  I bet I can get that vein on the side of his neck to pop out."

            Keiko sighed as her coworker hurried off.  She looked down at the little kitten mascot hanging from the side of her bag.  _And people say I haven't grown up yet._  She grinned once at the tiny, stuffed kitten, patted its head, then went back to her lunch.  

*            *            *

            Satoshi followed his friends down the hall and outside with a frown on his face.  He'd seen the looks a few of his classmates had thrown his way earlier, and now that he knew why, he wasn't happy about it.  By the time he and his three friends had met up at the end of the day to go home, the rumors about Kino and Mizuno were going full force, even in his own little group.

            "And all it took was one night with Satoshi," said Masao, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

            "How's that?" asked Korin.  The skinny boy pushed his glasses up on his nose, a playful smile on his face as he fed Masao the line he wanted.

            "Well, not only did he totally ruin her for the rest of us," went on Masao, obviously amused with the whole thing, "but after only one night, he managed to turn her off guys completely."

            Their laughter was cut off as Satoshi pushed Korin aside to get to Masao.  Grabbing the front of the shorter boy's shirt in his fists, Satoshi forced him up against the side of the building and held him there.

            His face red from a mix of anger and embarrassment, Satoshi hissed out, "Whatever that bitch does has nothing to do with me.  Whatever happened to her has nothing to do with me.  And if I have to tell you that one more time, I'll knock in your teeth when I do."

            "Let him go, Satoshi," said Taro as he stepped up and tried to pry Satoshi's hands off Masao.

            Satoshi's grip loosened enough for Taro to pull the boys apart.  He situated himself between them and stared down Satoshi as Masao scooted away from the wall.

            Rubbing at his chest, Masao glared at Satoshi as Korin stood off on the side looking more nervous than anything else.  "Christ, Satoshi, it was only a joke," complained Masao.

            Taro grabbed Satoshi's shoulder and held him in place so he wouldn't go after the other boy again.  To Masao he said, "You and Korin go on ahead.  We'll see you guys later."

            Masao picked up the bag he'd dropped and, with one more contemptuous look thrown over his shoulder at Satoshi, left with Korin.

            Satoshi pulled away from his friend and kicked angrily at the ground.  "Stupid people.  Stupid people who are supposed to be my friends.  And damn Kino for thinking she could play me like this."

            "It's your own fault," said Taro evenly.  "Not hers."

            Satoshi stared at his friend in disbelief.  Taro was the one who always stood up for him and behind him.  That he would suddenly turn on him and take someone else's side was unexpected and unwelcome.

            "You should have been more careful," went on Taro.  "If you had been, no one would even remember that you'd slept with her at this point."

            "I told you it isn't mine!" shouted Satoshi, his fists gripping tight.  "She told me herself I wasn't the first, and…"

            "And she was doing the same to a bunch of other guys, because we all know that's what her type is really like," cut in Taro, his tone making it clear he didn't believe that.  "Listen Satoshi, if you want to keep saying that, I'll go along with it.  If you want to keep pretending that baby isn't yours, I'll pretend right along with you.  But no one has stepped up to say they were with her except you.  That was the whole point in you going after her to begin with – because she was untouched and untouchable.  It just so happens you were wrong.  Now you're going to have to deal with it."

            "I don't have to take it from them," answered Satoshi petulantly.  "Those idiots are supposed to be my friends."

            "You have to take it from them just like you're going to have to take it from everyone else."  Taro moved closer to his friend and gripped the boy's shoulder, then leaned in as if he were telling him a secret.  "But look at it this way.  Most of the talk has been about Kino and Mizuno being together, nothing else.  And after this, even if Kino does try and pin you as her kid's father, true or not, no one's going to believe her.  You're off the hook, my friend."

            Slowly, Satoshi began to nod.  Some of the tension in his body leaked away, and the contempt with which he'd been regarding his friend left his eyes.  "Yeah," he said.  "You're right.  They won't believe her."  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  "Do you know how dead I would be if my parents found out about any of this?"

            Taro clapped a hand against Satoshi's back.  "I told you before not to worry about that.  There's no way they can find out unless you tell them.  And in a few weeks, this will all be gone.  Everyone's going to get bored with it, they'll start talking about something else, and no one will even remember you and Kino ever met."

*            *            *

            Thursday night already, and after the excitement of last weekend, the week had drug by rather uneventfully.  Minako lamented this fact as she lay on Rei's bed flipping through a magazine.  They hadn't seen any signs of the camera creep again, which she supposed was a good thing.  Makoto and Ami were still the most talked about couple at school, which was also a good thing.  Though Kanno and Souichi were catching up to them in terms of popularity.  By Minako's tally, the latter would overtake the former by this weekend, and if she wasn't totally certain that was what her friends wanted, she would have found some way to keep them on top.  After all, they were a unique thing and deserved some attention, especially when it had been predominately good.

            The problem with Makoto and Ami, Minako continued to muse as she flipped through her magazine without really seeing it, was in keeping the attention they'd already gotten.  They just weren't _doing anything.  Their getting together, early courtship, and moving in together had all been done away from the eyes of the school.  Now they were basically… well, for lack of a better word, __settled.  And settled equaled boring equaled nothing for anyone to talk about in order for them to keep their status as number one couple._

            Minako bent one leg to lift it out of Artemis' way as he stretched out at the end of the bed.  She looked back over her shoulder and watched the white cat stretch to his full length, his toes flaring as he did.  Then he rolled over onto his back, twitched his tail a few times, and went fully back to sleep.  She then looked over to where Rei sat on the floor, the end of a pencil in her mouth as one hand tapped out notes on her keyboard.  A warm smile formed on Minako's face.  Okay, so maybe there were worse things than being just a little bit settled.

            A knock on the door made Rei look up from her project.  "It's open."

            The door slid open to reveal a nervous looking Yuichiro.  He inclined his head to acknowledge Minako, then turned to Rei.  "Hey, Rei.  Your grandfather asked me to come get you.  You have a phone call."

            "Okay.  Thanks," she answered as she got up.  "Back in a minute, Mina."

            Minako smiled and nodded at Rei, then went back to her magazine.  She turned back a few pages to the beginning of the article she'd skimmed through.  Fifteen minutes later, she was back to the midway point when Rei returned.

            Looking more than a little dazed, the brunette walked over to her seat on the floor.  She sat chewing on her lip for several seconds, then raised her eyes to Minako's concerned gaze.  "That was my father.  He said he's got some fundraiser thing he has to go to on the eighth, and he has some free time that Sunday.  He's going to come see me.  Take me out for an early birthday dinner."

            Minako closed her magazine and sat up as Rei turned back to her keyboard.  Picking up her pencil, Rei moved as though she were about to write something, but wound up flipping the pencil and tapping the eraser against her notepad.

            "You know," she said crossly, "he probably won't even come.  At the last minute, he'll make up some excuse about work or other people who are more important.  I don't know why he even bothered calling.  And all that nonsense about a birthday dinner.  It's more than a month before my birthday, but it's not like he'd even remember that without his assistant telling him."

            Minako got up and moved across the room to Rei.  She sat on the edge of the table and rested a hand gently against Rei's arm.

            Rei stilled her pencil and looked up at Minako.  "I was in elementary school the last time he took me out for a birthday dinner.  He likes to go to really fancy places where he's sure someone will recognize him and offer him a bottle of their best wine on the house."  Rei smiled a little then.  "He showed me that trick for the first time then.  He even let me have a sip of the wine.  I was all dressed up, and he called me his date.  It feels like it was such a long time ago.  And it's been such a long time since we actually saw each other."  A strange look crossed Rei's face, and she got up suddenly and went over to her closet.  "I bet I don't even have anything to wear to the kind of place Dad will want to go."

            As Rei started going through the clothes in her closet, pulling things out and holding them in front of her or pushing them out of the way in favor of something else, Minako watched and smiled.  "We could go shopping this weekend if you want," she offered.

            Rei nodded.  "Good idea."  She paused, her hand on a hanger.  "He'll come, won't he?  He'll keep his promise this time."

            Minako walked over to Rei and stood beside her.  When Rei looked at her, Minako could see all the little girl want in her eyes, and the need to reassure the one she loved overwhelmed her.  Ignoring her lack of certainty in the matter, Minako promised, "He'll be here, Rei.  I'm sure he will this time."

            A small smile formed on Rei's lips.  "We're going to have to go shopping for you, too.  I want you to meet him.  We don't have to tell him about us, but I want him to know you exist."

            Minako agreed, then reached forward and pulled Rei into a hug.  He better show up this time, she thought, or the good senator would be finding himself on the wrong side of the Senshi of Love.

*            *            *

            The scent of baking chocolate filled the kitchen.  Makoto watched as Usagi stood in front of the oven, her blue eyes going back and forth between the timer and the cake behind the glass.  Usagi had done a surprisingly good job this time, and Makoto hoped it would end as well as it had started.

            Over at the table, Ami's voice was calm and patient as she walked Chibi-usa through a math problem.  Rei had tried to help the child earlier when Chibi-usa had tagged along to the study meeting.  However, her explanation had only confused the girl more, and now it was up to Ami to try and undo Rei's somewhat twisted mathematical logic.

            Mixed in with Ami's and Chibi-usa's voices was the sound of the papers Luna was pawing through.  The black cat sat on top of the table reading over the paperwork Itoh-san had given Makoto during a meeting that morning.  Makoto reminded herself to pull out the ones Saatchi-san needed to sign and get that taken care of this weekend so she could give them back Monday morning.

            His countenance and voice had been as stern and gruff as ever when Itoh-san had called her into his office for the second time in a week.  His demeanor, however, was offset by Hideo-sensei's perpetually happy one, and it was the teacher who explained most of their plans for handling Makoto's leave from school next term.  So it came as a surprise when, at the end of the meeting, he'd done something Makoto believed was meant as a kindness.

            His voice low and his face expressionless, Itoh-san had said, "I think things will turn out well for you, Kino-san.  As long as you're one of my students, I'll see that you graduate.  Even if it kills both of us."

            He'd left it at that, and if Hideo-sensei hadn't grinned just a little wider, Makoto doubted she would have even realized the man was attempting humor.  Or maybe even that he was trying to tell her she wasn't alone and not everyone was out to get her.

            Luna pushed another page aside, then looked up at Makoto.  "They're giving you a full 14 weeks?"

            Makoto nodded.  "Yep.  My last day is April 30th.  It'll run in to summer break, and they think it will be less disruptive if I come back to school at the same time as everyone else."

            "They've never had to deal with something like this before," added Ami, relaying some of what Makoto had told her.  "No one could agree on how long she should be out, so they decided to give her a standard maternity leave.  Though they're calling it 'emergency medical leave.'"

            "What's this?" asked Luna as she pulled a paper out from the pile.

            "Oh, hey, my history test," said Makoto as Luna held up the page with a  red and circled 91 in the top corner.  "I was wondering what I did with that."

            Usagi's interest was pulled away from the oven when she saw the grade on Makoto's paper.  "You were complaining about that, Mako-chan, but a 91 is good.  I only got a 67.  But it's not my fault," she added quickly when Luna gave her a disapproving look.  "All those names and dates to remember.  It all just starts blending together.  And Watashi-sensei is the most boringest teacher on the planet.  He just talks and talks and talks all in one voice, and after awhile, it starts to put you to sleep."

            Makoto laughed at that, which earned her curious looks from Usagi, Chibi-usa, and Luna.  Ami, though, smiled, and Makoto said to her, "See?  I told you I wasn't the only one who falls asleep in his class."

            Ami's grin got just a fraction wider before she turned back to Chibi-usa's math problems.  Her eyes focused down on the homework, she teased, "Yet you're still the only one who's gotten caught."

            Makoto chuffed.  "Just my bad luck, I guess.  Besides, Usagi, it's not the grade I was complaining about.  It's Watashi-sensei.  Since the school year started, he's had it in for me, and I don't have a clue why.  He never misses a chance to point out how wrong or not good enough what I do is.  But now, all of a sudden, it's like I don't exist.  All week, he's totally ignored me.  He refuses to make eye contact at all, and if he has to glance in my direction, he looks right over or around me.  I even raised my hand today just to see what he would do, and nothing.  He completely passed up an opportunity to tell me how stupid I am."

            Luna, having never heard more than a few minor complaints about the history teacher, was looking more than a little concerned.  "Is he really that bad?" she asked.  Then, when she got nods from both Usagi and Ami, said, "I wish you had said something sooner, Mako-chan.  Perhaps something could be done about him."

            "Don't worry about it, Luna," answered Makoto.  "I've dealt with it for this long, and I'm pretty much used to him by now.  Either way, I should just be glad he's giving me a break.  And in a month, finals will be over, and I'll never have to deal with that man again for the rest of my life."

            The ring of the kitchen timer brought everyone's attention back to the cake in the oven.  "It's ready, Mako-chan," said Usagi excitedly.

            "Okay," answered Makoto, crossing her fingers behind her back.  "Just turn off the oven and be careful when you take it out.  Then flip it onto the plate I gave you."

            Usagi nodded and did as instructed.  The cake resting on the plate, Usagi held it out happily in front of her – for all of three seconds.  Then the center of the cake collapsed, leaving it looking more like a deflated balloon than a dessert.

            The smile on Usagi's face promptly fell.  Her lip started to tremble, and her eyes welled up with tears.

            Ami looked sympathetically at her friend as Chibi-usa rolled her eyes.  Luna only shook her head.

            "Now, Usagi, it's not that bad," said Makoto consolingly, hoping to forestall any anguished outburst Usagi might be gearing up for.  She carefully moved closer to the blonde and her flattened cake.  "It looks like it might still be edible.  It's just a little flat."

            That was the wrong thing to say, Makoto realized, as Usagi burst into tears.  "But I did everything just like you told me to," cried Usagi.  "Why didn't it work?"

            "I don't know Usagi," said Makoto gently.  She took the cake plate and set it on the counter.  "You know what?  Bug wants a hot fudge sundae.  How about we get some ice cream while we wait for Ami's cram class to get out?"

            Usagi looked up at her friend and sniffled.  "Can we?"

            "Mmm hmmm.  My treat, since you and Chibi-usa said you'd wait with me tonight."

            Another little sniffle, and Usagi asked, "Can I have extra cherries?  And sprinkles?"

            Makoto laughed.  "Sure."

            "Okay," answered Usagi, her mood quickly brightening.  "When do we leave?  We shouldn't wait too long.  Don't want Ami to be late for class."

            "In a half hour," replied Makoto.  "Just enough time for us to get the dishes cleaned up."

            Usagi eyed the sink of dirty dishes and sighed.  "I should have known there'd be a catch."

*            *            *

            With one last wave, Rei watched her friends turn the corner and continue the walk to their own school.  It amused Rei when she noticed the curious glances coming from her schoolmates when they noticed the outsiders with her.  After a week of being walked all the way to campus because of the buddy system they'd all agreed upon, Rei thought the girls at her school would be used to seeing them by now.

            Inside at her locker, Rei put her shoes away and tried to shake off the uneasy feeling she was getting.  How many girls had looked away quickly when she'd passed them on her way in?  Not the downcast eyes and blushes she would normally get when she casually addressed underclassmen, but actual avoidance, like they were hiding something.  And that group she had seen huddled together near the entrance.  They'd stopped talking so suddenly when she'd approached that Rei knew they'd been talking about her.  Their nervous looks and stammered greetings had left Rei feeling ill at ease and agitated.

            Rei closed her locker, turned, and then jumped back, startled by the girl standing there waiting for her.  Natsume was her name, and Rei hadn't heard her approach at all.  This was one of the girls from the group out front.  She was also one of the girls Minako jokingly referred to as Rei's groupies.

            Natsume stood before Rei, her head slightly down.  Her feet fidgeted nervously as she gripped a newspaper in her hands.  "G-good morning, Rei-sama," she stammered out.

            Rei smiled back at the girl and reclaimed the air of confidence she always wore in this place.  "Good morning, Natsume-chan.  Is there something I can do for you?"

            "Well, I… that is, we…"  Natsume looked up at Rei, then quickly back down before thrusting the paper out for Rei to take.

            That uneasy feeling reasserted itself and rested like a lead weight in Rei's chest.  With great trepidation, Rei took the paper from the girl in front of her and slowly opened it.  When she saw the headline, her blood went cold.

            Right there on the front page was the headline, "Senator Hino's Daughter in Secret Affair."  Under that, in smaller bold print, was the subtitle, "A Double Standard in Family Values?  Just Where Does He Stand?"  Beneath the bold print was a black and white photo of her and Minako from when they'd gone to a concert in the park back in September.  For just a few minutes, Minako had leaned back against her, and Rei had put her arms around her.  That moment had been captured perfectly in the photo, leaving no questions to the intimacy of it.

            "Rei-sama?" asked Natsume cautiously.  "Is… is it true?  You and that girl?"

            "Minako.  Her name's Minako," answered Rei numbly.  _Minako._  Oh, Kami, please, no.__

            Rei dropped the newspaper and started running, ignoring the girl calling after her and hoping she could get to her friends before anyone else did.

*            *            *

            They were almost to school when Minako noticed her father's car parked by the side of the road.  Both her parents were inside, presumably waiting for her.  She wondered why they would be here, having seen her not more than an hour before.

            The small group moved closer to the car, Minako slightly ahead of the others.  Her parents got out of the car when they saw her.  The happy greeting Minako was going to give them died on her lips, though, when she saw the angry and displeased expressions they wore, and she stopped her approach.

            Her mother closed the gap between them easily.  She stopped and stood in front of Minako, giving the girl a cold stare.  Then she raised her hand and brought it down in a slap so hard against Minako's cheek that the blonde was forced back a step.

            The ringing in her ears kept Minako from hearing Usagi's gasp.  The tears that sprang to her eyes from the sting kept her from seeing Makoto start to move forward or noticing how Ami took hold of her arm to stop her.  And as her father stepped up behind her and grabbed her arm, Minako didn't see Rei appear just on the edge of the crowd of students that was forming.

            "That's enough," said her father sternly.  "We've been embarrassed enough as it is.  Minako, get in the car.  We're going home."  Without waiting for a response, he started walking back to the car, dragging Minako roughly along with him.

            Minako looked back at her friends helplessly.  Then, without any more words, she was put in the back of the car.  As they started to drive away, she saw Rei coming out of the crowd of curious bystanders.  Their eyes met, and Minako knew.  Fear settled in around her heart, making her feel sick.  And suddenly, no matter how close she held them to her, she couldn't get her hands warm enough to stop shaking.


	21. Family pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 21:  Family – pt 1

            The small crowd of onlookers began to dissipate once the car was out of sight.  As the students made their way from the scene, Rei was spotted by Usagi.

            "Rei, what are you doing here?" asked the blonde when she and her friends made their way over to Rei.  In a mix of confusion and alarm, Usagi's questions tumbled out and over each other.  "Did you see what happened?  Why did they do that?  What's going on?"

            "It's in the paper," answered Rei.  She ran a hand through her hair, her anxiousness showing through in the gesture.  "Someone took a picture of us together and put it in the paper along with a story about how the senator's daughter is having a scandalous affair.  Minako's parents must have seen it this morning after she left.  Damn it!" she yelled as she took a few agitated steps around her friends.

            "But how did anyone find out to begin with?" asked Makoto.  "You know what it took just for us to find out about it."

            "The man Hotaru saw," answered Ami after several moments of thought.  "The one who was taking our picture.  It makes sense and explains what his interest in us was."

            "It wasn't a recent picture," replied Rei.  "If it was him, he's been watching us for a hell of a long time."

            "What are we going to do?" asked Usagi.  "And what about Minako?"

            "We can't do anything about Minako right now.  There's no way her parents will let us anywhere near her," answered Rei.  Her eyes flashed, first a small spark of anguish, then a bright flare of anger.  "But I can tell you what I'm going to do.  I'm going to go find this reporter, and then I'm going to let him know exactly what I think of his article."

*            *            *

            No words were spoken.  None needed to be.  Her father was furious, Minako could see it in his rigid posture and the way he gripped the steering wheel as if he were trying to strangle the life out of it.  She could see her mother's reflection in the rearview mirror.  The older woman's expression was cold, her mouth drawn into a tight frown.  They knew about her and Rei.  It couldn't be anything else, because she hadn't done anything else.  The only question Minako had now was how her parents had found out.  That, and what they were going to do about it.

            The tense weight in Minako's stomach tightened as they pulled into the apartment complex.  She walked between her parents up to the apartment and stared down at her shoes as her father unlocked the door.  Ushered quickly inside, Minako was directed to the couch, where she sat as her parents stood before her.

            Her father was the one to break the silence that had fallen over them.  The newspaper landed roughly on the table in front of Minako, the photo of her and Rei jumping out at her and giving final confirmation to her fears.  "Do you even have an excuse for this?" her father asked.

            Minako stared in shock at the picture.  "Daddy, I…" she started, only to be rolled over by her mother's voice.

            "Do you have any idea how embarrassing all this is?" asked her mother, her voice nearing the edge of shrill.  "It's bad enough that you would even get involved in something like this, but to do it so openly, where anyone could see you…"

            Her father folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her sternly.  "I'm not hearing any denials from you."

            Minako swallowed hard, then looked up at her parents.  She sat up just a bit straighter, calling on the courage she'd long ago discovered she possessed.  "That's because I don't have anything to deny," she answered, her voice quiet, yet firm.  "I've been seeing her for almost two years.  I love her."

            Her mother rolled her eyes at that, her hands moving to do half her talking for her.  "Oh, for the love of…"

            "Quiet!" ordered Minako's father, cutting off her mother before she could even start her tirade.  He ignored the indignant glare his wife shot him as he addressed his daughter.  "Never have I or your mother given you any indication that this sort of behavior is acceptable, regardless of who we allowed you to socialize with.  We have, in fact, told you on more than one occasion it was beyond unacceptable.  That you would openly defy us is intolerable, and now you have to pay the consequences for your actions.

            "To begin with," he went on, "you will have nothing more to do with that Hino girl.  Further, you won't have any more contact with Tenoh or her people.  As for the rest of your friends, we haven't made any decisions yet, but, for the time being, you aren't to speak with them, either.  No phone, no computer, and no leaving the apartment."

            "That isn't fair!"

            "Neither is the situation you've forced me into.  Now, go to your room.  We'll discuss this more later, after your mother and I have had a chance to think things through."

            "But…"

            "No 'buts,' Minako.  Go."

            "Or what?" she asked boldly, almost daring her father to do something more.

            Her father's jaw clenched and unclenched.  His voice was low and measured, his patience clearly at its breaking point.  "You seem to think you're being given some type of options here.  You aren't, because there are none.  I am your father, and you will do as I tell you.  Period.  Do not make me repeat myself."

            Minako bit back the defiance she felt building inside her.  She could see Artemis hiding himself behind a corner and watching her with worry in his eyes.  Backing down, Minako bowed to her father's words and went quietly to her room, closing the door behind her.

*            *            *

            After a quick stop back at TA to retrieve Rei's regular shoes without getting caught by any teachers, Makoto now sat beside Rei at the bus stop as they waited for the bus that would take them to The Daily's main office.  Rei had wanted to walk, but there was no way Makoto could go that distance or even keep up with Rei in the state she was in.  This was something she regretted greatly at this point, because, if they'd been able to walk, Rei might have been able to burn off some of her anger before they got there.  As it was, the miko's constant fidgeting and restlessness was making Makoto crazy.

            Standing up to stretch and put some distance between herself and Rei's tapping foot, Makoto brushed off a query to her state of comfort from Rei.  Rei nodded and went back to blowing air through her lips and drumming her foot against the sidewalk.

            Not long after Minako had been pulled away from them, the girls had heard the chiming of the school's warning bell.  It was obvious Rei wasn't concerned with getting herself to class on time.  Promptness had become a low priority for all of them that morning as they stood there trying to figure out what to do next.  It wound up being Makoto who suggested the path they'd wound up following.

            Rei couldn't and shouldn't be left alone.  They'd reached that decision by unspoken consensus.  However, all four of them skipping school wasn't going to solve any of their immediate problems.  So, rather than chance causing any trouble with the school or various parents, Makoto had volunteered to stay with Rei while Usagi and Ami went on to class.  After all, she had the best excuse for missing a day and no parents to explain it to later.

            Makoto had expected objections.  Usagi wasn't the type to leave a friend when she was in need.  Neither was Ami, but she was also one to put logic and reason behind her opposition.  Actually, it had been a bit amusing for Makoto to watch her girlfriend stumble over words in an attempt to find a polite way of saying that sending the two with the worst tempers off alone together might not be such a good idea.  But Makoto had stopped her before she'd even gotten halfway there.

            "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her," assured Makoto.  "And I promise I won't let her hurt him.  Much."  Makoto grinned at the expression that crossed Ami's face just before she ushered her friends on their way.

            Now, here she was with Rei, waiting to help disassemble one Kojima Ishata.  Makoto looked down at the paper they'd picked up and frowned at the name in the byline.  She'd skimmed the article on their way here and found it only annoyed her more for all its assumptions and accusations.

            A few minutes later, the bus pulled up.  The ride was quiet and left them off a block from The Daily.  Makoto followed Rei up the steps and through the front doors into the lobby.  She tried to keep pace with her friend as Rei went up to the reception desk and demanded to speak with Kojima.  And she stood and waited as Rei took out some of her frustrations on the hapless receptionist, who kept insisting that Kojima-san was a busy man who wasn't seeing anyone, no matter who she might be.

*            *            *

            A nameplate bearing the inscription 'Kojima Ishata' seesawed on the edge of the desk for several seconds before surrendering to gravity and hitting the floor with a dull thud.  Ishata, himself, looked up from the mess of papers he was shuffling through and frowned around the blueberry muffin between his teeth.  When the nameplate went over the edge, that meant it was time to clean the desk again.  Damn.

            His name being called across the room made Ishata look up from his disaster area of a desk.  He took the muffin from his mouth and called back, "Yo, Yoshi!  What's up?"

            Yoshi smirked as he answered, "I just came from downstairs.  Your headline's down in the lobby arguing with Jana."

           Ishata's eyebrows rose in surprise.  "The Hino kid?  Really?"  After a nod from Yoshi, Ishata laughed.  "Well, there's one thing I'll say about the Hino's – they certainly are a prompt lot.  Not even 9:30 yet, and we've already got a response from both of them.  I guess I should save Jana from her.  Thanks, Yoshi."

            After falling into his chair, Ishata leaned forward and brushed aside the wrappers from his breakfast to find the phone.  A moment later, he was connected to the frazzled sounding woman downstairs.

*            *            *

            _Rent, concert tickets, car payment, concert tickets, food, concert tickets…_

            Jana continued to mentally run through all the reasons she needed this job.  The job which required her to stand here, smile politely, and say once again, "Miss, as I said, Kojima-san isn't seeing anyone this morning without an appointment.  If you'd like to leave your name and a number…"

            Rei grabbed the paper Makoto was holding and slammed it down in front of the woman.  "Look here, lady.  You see this?  This gives me the right to speak with that rat whether I have an appointment or not.  So you either tell me where I can find him, or I will go through this entire building inch by square inch until I find him myself!"

            Jana managed to sigh in exasperation and maintain her polite smile both at the same time.  Just as she was about to repeat the phrase she'd been using since this girl and her friend arrived, the phone on her desk began to ring.  "Just one moment," she said to Rei, then reached to pick up the phone.  "Reception.  Jana speaking.  Oh, hi, Ishi," she replied, the smile on her face becoming more genuine.  "Yes, there's a pair of young women here who would like to see you."  A slight nod, then she answered back.  "All right.  Bye."  Then Jana looked back at Rei.  "Kojima-san would be happy to speak with you.  Take that elevator over there up to the second floor.  He's waiting for you there."

            Without offering any sort of reply, Rei stalked off towards the elevator, Makoto close behind her.  Her finger jabbed at the up button until the doors slid open.

            Jana waited until the two unwanted visitors were on the elevator and gone before releasing a huge breath and falling back into her chair.  Ishi really needed to start warning her about these people.  Another sigh and a glance towards the security camera accompanied a muttered, rueful, "God is watching."  And with that, Jana went back to looking busy and waiting for the next irate article to walk through the door.

*            *            *

            The elevator dinged and opened the doors to the second floor.  Rei and Makoto stepped out into a short hallway, immediately seeing the only individual standing there and presumably waiting for them.  Upon seeing him, there was a moment of surprise, because this wasn't the face they were expecting.

            Kojima stepped up to the girls with a grin on his face, keeping the distance previous lessons had taught him would avoid a hit should one of them take a swing.  "Kojima Ishata.  I'm pleased to meet you in person, Hino-san.  And your friend?" he queried as he turned and greeted Makoto, not showing the disappointment he felt because she wasn't the blonde from the photos.

            "Kino Makoto," answered Makoto, bowing slightly out of habit to the greeting he'd given her.

            "If the two of you would follow me," said Kojima as he began to walk.  "We'll go someplace we can talk privately."

            The girls followed him into a small conference room.  Each took a seat at the rectangular table in the center of the room, Kojima sitting across from them.

            His hands folded casually in front of him, Kojima smiled at the girls.  He'd just opened his mouth to speak when Rei suddenly shot up, her hands hitting the table hard enough to make both Kojima and Makoto jump.

            "You son of a bitch!" yelled Rei.  "How dare you come crawling into my life like this?  Just because my father's personal life may interest some people doesn't mean my life is an open source of entertainment for the public.  Someone I love has been hurt by all of this, not to mention how on edge all of my friends have been since we saw that sleaze you have following us."

            Kojima sat back in his chair calmly.  He waited for several seconds for Rei to sit, and when she didn't, he said, "I sympathize, Hino-san, but you're wrong when you say you aren't an open source for the public.  You are the daughter of a very powerful and respected statesman.  Every aspect of his life, including you, is going to come under scrutiny from time to time.  Right now, you just happen to be the most interesting and newsworthy aspect of his life.

            "You see," went on Kojima, leaning forward in an almost challenging way, "the world around us is changing.  We aren't living in the same world our parents did.  Modernization, Westernization, whatever you want to call it, it's something that's on everyone's minds.  Crime, divorce, teen pregnancy," he said with a gesture towards Makoto which earned him a sharp glare from the girl, "all are on the rise.  Traditional family and the values that went along with it are on the decline, and there isn't a politician on the trail that isn't trying to find a way to capitalize on that, your father included."

            "What does any of that have to do with me?"

            Kojima laughed.  "With the way the Senator's been pushing a return to the traditional family in the last few months, you, kid, are the perfect example of hypocritical politics.  I only wish I could take all the credit for the idea, cause it seems like such an obvious angle for a story now, it's almost sad.  I'm not the one who had you followed, though.  Whoever you saw, he had no connections to me."

            "If he wasn't connected to you," asked Makoto, "then how did you get the photo and the story?"

            Kojima shrugged.  "An anonymous source, most likely one of the Senator's rivals.  All I know is a package with all the info and photos was delivered without a return address.  There was a note saying I could do or not do whatever I wanted with them.  I also got the impression I wasn't the only one receiving it, I just happen to be the first one to get it out.  So don't be too surprised if some of the less than flattering pictures I saw turn up in other places."  Pulling a small tape recorder from his pocket, Kojima set it on the table between him and Rei.  "You know, your father's already scheduled a press conference for 12:30 this afternoon to get in his say.  What about you?  Care to offer a rebuttal?"

            Rei glared at the man across from her.  Her hands, which had remained flat against the table, curled into fists.  "I'll give you a rebuttal," she hissed out as all her tension finally snapped.

            One fist knocked the recorder out of the way as Rei launched herself across the table towards Kojima.  Kojima reacted quickly, the wheels on his chair rolling him out of Rei's reach as Makoto scrambled to grab some part of Rei and stop her.  Rei made it almost all the way across the table before Makoto managed to get a hold of the skirt of her uniform and slow her down.

            Kojima put his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender.  "I'll take that as a 'no comment.'"

            Rei practically growled at him as Makoto gave her a hard tug.  "He's an idiot, Rei.  Let it go for now."

            Rei backed up slowly.  Giving the man across from her a hard stare, she said, "Stay out of my life and leave my girlfriend alone.  She's no one's business but mine."  Then she turned on her heel and marched out of the conference room without looking back.

            Kojima smiled to himself as he watched the Hino kid and her friend leave.  For several minutes, he thought about what she had said, turned the words over in his head until they all fell into place.  "The Words of an Angry Daughter," he said quietly.  He chuckled to himself as he got up and headed back to his desk to start work on tomorrow's follow-up article.

*            *            *

            When you couldn't take it out on a person, the next best thing was to take it out on your food.  Then feed your friends, and maybe you'd all start to feel a little better.  This was the philosophy Makoto was applying as she cracked another egg over her mixing bowl and then proceeded to beat the mixture as if it had done her a personal wrong.

            She was feeling more than a little helpless and just a bit useless at the moment.  Makoto wasn't used to those feelings, and they were annoying her to no end.  For her, it had begun as Rei's mood got quieter and quieter on their way back to the apartment.  Other than staying with her, Makoto didn't know what to do.  That just didn't seem like enough, though she was sure someone would tell her the company was helping Rei more than Makoto realized.  But it still felt inadequate.  So, when Rei had asked to use the phone, Makoto had retreated to the kitchen to both give Rei some privacy and make them lunch.  At least by making lunch, Makoto felt like she was actually doing something.

            Preparing lunch was a fairly quick affair.  Figuring Rei had likely had enough time to speak with her grandfather, Makoto picked up the tray she'd prepared and went back into the livingroom.  She slowly eased open the door, pausing for a moment to listen for Rei's voice so she wouldn't be interrupting.  When she didn't hear anything, she went the rest of the way into the room.

            Makoto walked over to the coffee table and set down the tray after noticing Rei had moved out onto the balcony.  She went out to join her, sitting down and propping her feet on the small table that matched the set of chairs they were using.  A small sigh escaped her as she realized she hadn't noticed how much her feet were beginning to ache until she'd finally gotten off of them.  For a moment, she let her eyes close and just enjoyed the mild warmth of the sun against her face.

           When she opened her eyes, Rei was grinning at her.  Makoto grinned back and asked, "How are you doing?"

            "I was just about to ask you that," answered Rei.  "You look tired.  I hope you didn't go to too much trouble out there."

            "Hey," said Makoto.  "I'm supposed to be worrying about you today, not the other way around."

            Rei nodded, her eyes falling back down to her lap and her communicator, which was held loosely in her hands.  "I tried calling her cell phone," said Rei.  "She must have it turned off, because I got kicked right into her voicemail.  There's no point in trying to call directly, and I'm afraid to try this in case she's still with her parents."

            "What about your grandfather?"

            "He wasn't home," answered Rei.  "I talked to Yuichiro.  He said the school called.  That's where Grandpa went.  Plus, there's a mess of reporters outside who all want some kind of statement."  She looked at her watch suddenly.  "What time was my dad supposed to have his press conference?"

            "I think 12:30."

            "We've still got some time."  Rei took a deep breath, sinking further into her chair.  "I hope he's not too angry.  I wanted the first time he met Minako to leave a good impression, and I know he can't be liking this at all."  Rei straightened up in her seat, then stood.  She turned to Makoto and held out a hand.  With a smirk, she said, "Here, let me help.  Cause I know what a long and exhausting walk it is back inside."

            "Very funny," retorted Makoto even as she took the hand Rei was offering.  A light tug, and she was back on her feet and heading inside.

            They were halfway through their lunch when the anchor on the news channel Rei had turned on announced Senator Hino would be addressing the press.  The girls watched as the camera cut to a room labeled as a general meeting room of the Tokyo Bay Intercontinental Hotel.

            "He's already in town," said Rei quietly as the people on the screen settled down in anticipation of the senator's arrival.  "I didn't think he'd be in until next week."

            Before Makoto could think of something to respond with, a woman stepped up to the podium and addressed the small crowd around her.  "Good afternoon.  For those who don't know, my name is Yoshimura Kimiko.  I am Senator Hino's personal assistant.  This afternoon, the Senator will issue a brief statement and then answer a few select questions from the press."

            His assistant stepped aside as Rei's father took his place at the podium.  His expression was somber as his dark eyes looked out over those gathered.  When he spoke, his voice was even with a level of authoritativeness underlying his words. 

            "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the press.  To begin with, I'd like to say what a low tactic I believe this has been, to drag an innocent, young girl into a public forum, especially over such a sensitive issue.  My daughter has a right to her privacy, regardless of her relationship to me.  It saddens me greatly that anyone would stoop to the level of harming her name and reputation in an attempt to tarnish my own.

            "It has been suggested by the individual who published this story that my stance on family and personal ethics is somewhat hypocritical.  I can see how he, or anyone, would come to that conclusion with the skewed view he has presented.  I can defend myself only by saying it is because of my daughter that I have taken the position I have.

            "As most of you know, my daughter, Rei, was raised by my late wife's father.  The decision to leave my daughter with her grandparents, both of whom were alive at the time, was a difficult one, and primarily influenced by my wife's death, as well as a work schedule I believed would make it impossible for me, as a single father, to properly care for Rei.  I wanted only for her to have a stable home.  I also wanted to grant her mother's wish that Rei know her family and be raised with the traditions and beliefs she was.  I thought I could still be a father to my child, even with distance between us.  I was, unfortunately, mistaken.

            "A family separated has a difficult time surviving.  Lines of communication break down as the physical distance becomes emotional distance.  This was proven to me this morning when I opened the paper to find this disgraceful excuse for journalism.  You see, I was just as surprised to find out about my child's relationship as everyone else.  Rei, because of the emotional distance between us, has never confided in me about any of her personal affairs.

            "I now take this situation as a wake-up call and a lesson.  I tried to give my daughter a home like the one I grew up in.  A home with the love of her parents and the wisdom and strength of her grandparents.  I, however, defeated my own purpose by almost completely removing myself from the situation because of working obligations.  It's possibly too late for me to repair the damage done to my own family.  All I can do now is hope that my child will find it in herself to forgive me and hope that others will learn from my mistakes.  This is a hope and a message I will continue to carry throughout my remaining term in office, as well as any campaign I embark on in the future.

            "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time.  Now, as my assistant said, I'm open to any further questions you may have."

            Rei turned off the TV without waiting for the question and answer session to begin.  She knew enough to be aware he hadn't written that speech himself.  Still, he had delivered it, and those words just weren't sitting right with her.  Perhaps it was the detail inaccuracies, because she knew her past as well as anyone, and to hear it twisted just so bothered her.  But then, it wouldn't do for her father to admit he'd left his dying wife and their child long before he'd used work as an excuse not to come back.  Or maybe it was because she hadn't found the answers she was seeking in all the things he'd said.  Upset with the press for putting a wrinkle in his perfect life?  Yes.  Angry with her?  Or just flat out against what she was doing?  She still didn't know.  Leaning back against the couch and lost in her thoughts, Rei wondered if she'd have the chance to get an answer from him in person this time.  It never occurred to her to wonder why she still cared.

*            *            *

            The only light in the room came from a small accent lamp on the dresser.  Minako sat on the floor leaning against her bed.  On this side, she was hidden from the door in case it should open suddenly, as her mother no longer felt compelled to knock before entering.  Hopefully, though, with Artemis standing guard on the other side of the bed, if her mother did come back for some reason, they'd have enough warning to end communications.

            Minako activated her communicator, and a moment later, Rei's tired and worried image appeared.  "Hey, Rei," she said softly.

            "Hi, Mina.  I'm glad you were finally able to get back to me.  Are you okay?  I saw what happened with your parents this morning."

            Minako unconsciously lifted a hand to her cheek, still able to feel a ghost of the sting.  "I've had better days, but I'm okay.  How about you?  I guess you've seen the paper by now."

            Rei nodded.  "Yeah, along with everyone else.  I was at Makoto's until about two hours ago.  There was a crush of reporters outside the shrine all wanting something.  They finally left, most of them anyway, and Yuichiro came to get me."

            "We've been having the same problem here," said Minako.  "Mom got so sick of the phone ringing, she finally just turned it off after Daddy left for work.  He was here long enough to forbid me from leaving the apartment, though.  And after he and Mom got through yelling at me, they spent the rest of the morning arguing about whose fault it is.  Mom blames Daddy because he was the one who said it was okay for me to be around 'those people.'  Then Daddy said it was just as much her fault because she's my mother and since she's home with me all the time, how could she not notice?"  Minako sighed.  "Daddy slammed the door pretty hard on his way out, and the only time Mom's talked to me was to tell me dinner was ready.  Plus a bunch of spot checks she keeps doing to make sure I'm not in contact with the outside world."

            "I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this," said Rei somberly.  "It's because of me and my father, and they shouldn't have drug your name into it.  You don't deserve to be treated this way."

            Minako shook her head.  "It's not your fault Rei.  You don't deserve any of this either."  She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Have you heard from your dad yet?"

            "No," answered Rei.  "He's in town, though.  He gave a press conference this afternoon.  I know he's not happy about all the attention this is causing, and I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to say to him if he does call or come here."  Rei took a deep breath and released it a bit shakily.  "I miss you, Mina.  So much it feels like it's been more like a year instead of just a day."

            Minako's chest tightened at those words.  She felt the same way, the desperate need to connect with her love after everything that had happened only compounded by the forced separation.  "I miss you, too.  It scared me, you know, when I saw you there this morning.  That was how I knew for certain what had happened.  You didn't get into too much trouble at school, I hope.  Did you try going back at all?"

            "I couldn't have even if I'd wanted to," said Rei, her words tinged with annoyance.  "I've been barred from campus until further notice."

            "What?  Why?"

            Rei shrugged.  "When I didn't go back this morning, they called Grandpa.  They weren't too concerned about my skipping, though.  Actually, I think they were glad I didn't show up.  It's a Catholic school, Mina, and they've got certain rules about the conduct of their students.  I've managed to very publicly break what would be the one about inappropriate and lewd behavior.  They're having a board meeting Wednesday to decide how to handle it, and until then, I've been suspended."

            "Oh, Rei, that isn't fair.  They shouldn't be allowed to do that to you."

            "They can do anything they want, fair or not," replied Rei.  "Besides, I don't think I could find a way out to get there anyway, with these damn reporters everywhere.  Talking to one of them was bad enough.  I don't want to have to deal with any more."

            "You spoke to one of them?"

            "Sort of," answered Rei, her free hand pulling absently at covers around her.  "It's nothing you need to worry about.  But I found out the guy who wrote the article got all the stuff about us anonymously.  He swears he doesn't know anything about who sent it to him."

            Not wanting to get into exactly how Rei had found that out right this moment, Minako instead jumped in with, "Artemis and I talked about that some.  We were thinking it might have been the guy we saw at Makoto's."

            Rei nodded her agreement.  "We were thinking the same thing."

            "Mina!" whispered Artemis as loudly as he dared as he suddenly jumped up on her bed.

            Without saying anything else, Minako shoved her communicator under the bed just as a slight rap against her door preceded it being opened.

            Her father slowly opened the door enough to stick his head in the room.  When he saw her, he asked, "What are you doing down on the floor?  I expected you'd be in bed at this hour."

            A frantic few seconds of looking around her, and Minako found a book to grab and hold up.  "I was just catching up on some reading.  I'll go to bed soon.  Did you just get home?"

            "Yes," answered her father, the weariness of a long day evident in his voice.  "There was a lot of work to catch up on at the office.  Well, if you're going to keep reading, turn on another light.  It's too dark for that in here.  And don't stay up too much later."

            "Okay," answered Minako.  Then, cautiously, "Goodnight, Daddy."

            Giving her a curt nod in response, Minako's father started to close the door, but paused.  Opening it again, he seemed to hesitate for several moments before asking uncomfortably, "You don't have any extra blankets in here, do you?"

            Minako shook her head.  "But I think Mom keeps some in the linen closet."

            "So did I," mumbled her father.  Then he sighed.  "Never mind.  I'll see you in the morning," he said before leaving the room.

            After waiting a few moments to be certain he wouldn't come back, Minako reached under her bed to find her communicator.  "Still there, Rei?"

            "Yeah," answered Rei.  "What happened?"

            "My dad came home," said Minako.  "He was just looking for something he couldn't find."

            They talked for a while longer, lapsing into a companionable silence when everything that could be discussed had.  "I love you," said Rei finally.  "And try not to worry.  We'll figure things out.  We've gotten out of worse than this, after all."

            Minako tried to smile at the brave face Rei was showing her.  "Yeah," she replied softly.  "I love you, too, Rei.  For always, no matter what."

            "Sweet dreams, Mina," said Rei, obviously reluctant to let go just yet.

            "Night, Rei," answered Minako.  She shut down a second later, but stayed in her spot on the floor, holding on to her darkened communicator.

            Artemis jumped down beside his mistress and gently nudged her leg with his head.  She looked at him with teary eyes, then set aside her communicator to lift him up and hold him to her.

           Doing his best to imitate a hug, Artemis said as soothingly as he could, "It'll be all right, Mina.  Things will work out in the end."

            Minako squeezed him a little tighter, trying to hold back her tears.  "She told me everything happens for a reason," she said, her voice shaking just a bit.  "That everything is fair and the way it's supposed to be.  Rei is supposed to be my bit of fair.  They can't take her away from me, not after I just got her.  They can't."


	22. Family pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 22:  Family – pt 2

            Sunlight was just beginning to make itself known as Minako slowly woke, blinking her eyes sleepily.  She lifted her head from the edge of the bed and winched at the crick that had formed.  She'd fallen asleep sitting on the floor, she realized, her hand moving to the ache in her neck.

            Minako's movements roused Artemis from his own sleep.  The white cat stirred in his spot on Minako's lap.  Rising, he slid off her legs, then took a moment to stretch, the fur on his back spiking as he did.  When he felt a hand come down and scratch lightly around his ears, Artemis began to purr.  One of his eyes opened enough to look up at his mistress, and he returned the small grin she was giving him.

            Minako went about her usual morning ritual, getting showered and ready for school.  On the trip between the bathroom and bedroom, she saw her parents talking quietly in the kitchen.  The discussion looked intent, but it wasn't an argument.  Apparently, whatever issues they'd had with each other last night had been solved, at least enough for them to be civil with each other now.

            Knowing she had a little extra time this morning, Minako took her time getting dressed.  Truthfully, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of sitting at the table and pretending to have a normal breakfast with her parents.  The tense and silent dinner with her mother last night had been bad enough.

            A final tug on her hair bow to make sure it was securely in place, and Minako nodded to her mirror image.  With Artemis following behind her, she went out into the other room to face her parents.

            "Where's Daddy?" asked Minako when she saw her mother setting out breakfast without a place for her father.  "I thought he was driving me to school today."

            "He had some things he had to take care of before work.  Besides, things are still too hectic for you to be going out," answered her mother.  "There are reporters all over the place, and I wouldn't put it past them to try and ambush you at school.  We don't need any more attention to this than there already has been."

            "But," said Minako, pausing to lick her lips nervously, "we've got finals in a few weeks.  I really shouldn't be missing any school."  It was an excuse, if nothing else, and maybe if she pleaded grades, her mother might change her mind.  Just maybe.

            Or maybe not.

            The elder Aino looked pointedly at her daughter.  "Since when do you care about your grades?" she asked.  "A few days isn't going to make any difference, anyway."

            "But, Mom…"

            "Don't even bother, Minako," returned her mother.  "I don't care if you fail the entire trimester and have to repeat the whole year because of it, you aren't going anywhere."  Her temper starting to show through, she went on, "I never wanted you in that school to begin with.  After we put so much into your education, just to end up having to send you to a public high school.  I should have insisted we send you back to England after you failed all your entrance exams."

            "I passed one," said Minako, an edge of petulance in her voice.

            Her mother shook her head in annoyance.  "And it had to be the one for Tenth Street."  She turned away to retrieve the beginnings of her own breakfast, mumbling, "And I still don't know how you managed to get a negative score.  I didn't even think that was possible."

            Minako smirked to her mother's back.  _Anything's possible if you try hard enough._

*            *             *

            Wednesday morning, slightly warmer than normal for the time of year, and Rei sat on the porch outside her room idly throwing some seeds for Phobos and Deimos to eat.  On this side of the shrine she at least had some privacy.  The front, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.  The usual chores she would do around the yard and grounds had to be traded for what she could do inside as a result.  While Rei may not have been blessed with the green thumb Makoto was, she did know every plant and tree that lived at her shrine.  Not being able to tend to them was bothersome to her.

            As she watched her companions eat their breakfast, her thoughts drifted to Minako.  They had been able to talk for awhile late last night.  Hearing her voice had helped, but until she could actually see her and touch her in person, Rei wasn't going to be able to shake the sense of foreboding that had fallen over her.  For all the reassurances she had given to try and calm Minako's fears, Rei couldn't bring herself to believe any truth in the words.

            With a sigh, Rei threw out the last handful of seeds, then stood.  She and Minako had agreed to talk at midnight.  Just fifteen more hours to go.  A small smile tugged at the corner of Rei's mouth as she realized once again how completely addicted she was to this one person.

            As she passed through the main room, Rei heard the phone ring.  She ignored the insistent tone the way she had every other call in the last 48 hours.  On the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up, and Rei paused to see if this time someone would leave a message.

            "Rei, it's Dad," said the voice after the welcome message.  "Call me back when you get a chance.  The number at the hotel is…"

            In her haste to get to the phone, Rei hurdled a flower pot and tripped on the edge of the throw rug.  She was barely on her feet when her hand grabbed the receiver.  "Dad, I'm here," she answered, her heart beating fast.

            "Rei, sweetheart, how are you doing?" he asked, his voice almost pleasant.

            Rei straightened up and leaned against the cabinet that held the phone.  "I'm okay, mostly," she said slowly.  "I'm sorry, Dad, about all of this.  I didn't mean…"

            "It's okay," her father answered, cutting her off mid apology.  "Look, Rei, I don't have a lot of time right now, but I wanted to touch base with you.  I'm betting there's a lot of people, right now, who want to talk you, isn't there?"

            "Yeah," said Rei.  "They're all over the place."

            "Try to ignore them," said her father.  "I know it's hard, but they'll go away soon.  There's still a few I have to deal with, but I don't want you to talk to any of them.  If you do, it will only give invitation to others to harass you even more.  Understand, baby?"

            "Yes," answered Rei.  "Dad, about Minako.  I was going to introduce her to you.  I think you'll like her, even with all that's happened."

            "I'm sure I will," he replied.  "Rei, I have to get going.  I'm sorry I can't talk more right now, but there's business I have to take care of.  We'll talk more about everything when I come to visit."

            "You're still coming?"

            Her father laughed.  "Of course I am.  I promised, didn't I?"

            "Yes, but…  Never mind," said Rei, shaking her head as if to clear it.

            "All right, then.  I'll see you next weekend.  Tell your grandfather 'hello' for me.  Maybe he'll be lucky and get some free publicity for the shrine out of all this," he said with a chuckle.  "Bye, sweetheart."

            "Bye, Dad," answered Rei.  When she heard the other end click, she put the phone back in its cradle.  He was coming, and she should be glad of that.  She should be even happier that he wasn't upset with her.  Yet, that sense of uneasiness that had been nagging at her only seemed to grow.

*            *            *

            Minako's Wednesday was a basic replay of the day before it.  She got up and ready for school in an attempt to get out, only to be told she would be staying home again.  Talking to Rei late at night helped, but she was going to go stir crazy soon if her parents didn't at least let her out for some air, stalker press or not.

            After breakfast, Minako changed her clothes, then set to washing the dishes.  After that, she willingly exiled herself to her room.  By lunchtime, she had gone through all of her manga and magazines, and her schoolwork was actually starting to look like a good alternative to being bored.  Putting that thought quickly out of her mind, she contemplated doing a bit of spring cleaning to help pass the time.  Thusly, when her father came home at six o'clock, Minako was sitting in the middle of a pile of clothes, shoes, and plain old stuff that she had gutted from her closet and drawers.

            "I was cleaning," she answered with a sheepish grin when her father asked what was going on.

            He didn't seem to be amused.  "Come out here.  Your mother and I want to talk to you."

            Minako extricated herself from her mess and went out into the livingroom.  Her parents were seated together on the couch.  She sat in the chair next to them as she was told, her eyes glancing the thick folder that sat on the table in front of them.

            Her father took several moments to gather his thoughts, and Minako knew he was gearing up for a big decision speech.  That in itself made her nervous.

            "Your mother and I have discussed this at length," he began.  "We feel we've come to what will be the best solution for everyone.  Understand, Minako, that we realize this situation hasn't been any easier on you than it has on us, and that what we're asking from you isn't an easy thing, even if it is ultimately for the best.  So, to make it easier, I've decided the best thing would be to simply remove you from the situation as completely as possible."

            Minako's eyes widened in shock as any hope she'd held out was abruptly shattered.  She knew what was coming next.

            "I want you to finish high school.  It's the only way you'll be able to make anything of yourself," continued her father.  He reached forward and opened the folder that sat on the table.  "I've looked into several schools, and your mother and I think these are the best among those closest to home.  You'll be far enough away from all this unpleasantness, not to mention other distractions, that you'll be able to concentrate on your studies without being so far away that you feel completely displaced."

            Several brochures were laid out in front of Minako.  She stared at them without really seeing, only able to concentrate on the hole she felt forming in her chest.

            "You get a choice," said her father, either not noticing or ignoring the state his daughter was in.  "The timing of this is unfortunate.  You won't be able to complete the term, but hopefully, if you do well enough on the placement exams, whichever school you choose will be willing to overlook an incomplete term.  If not, you'll just have to repeat the year."  He gathered the brochures back up and returned them to the folder.  He then handed it to Minako.  "Take this back to your room and look it over.  We'll discuss this again in a few days, after you've had some time to think about it."

            Minako nodded.  She held the folder to her chest and rose to head back to her room.

            "Oh, and Minako," said her father after she'd taken several steps.  When she turned back to look at him, he went on, "I know placement tests aren't your strong suit, but each of those schools has one, and I expect you to pass whichever one you take.  No back-up school this time.  Remember, there are always other options open to us should you choose not to do your best.  Options I think you'd like even less than you do this."

            Minako's mouth formed into a tight frown as she looked at her father.  With a quiet, "Yes, sir," she went back to her room.  As soon as the door was closed behind her, the folder hit the already cluttered floor, and Minako hit the bed, landing on her stomach.  She buried her face in her pillow, held on to it as tight as she could with both hands, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

            Artemis, startled and confused by Minako's actions, jumped up carefully on the bed beside her.  "Mina?  What happened?"

            As her muffled scream petered out, Minako's grip and posture loosened.  She flipped over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.  Blowing an errant lock of hair out of her eyes, she answered, "Boarding school.  They're sending me to boarding school."

*            *            *

            Minako lay on her bed in the dark, faint bluish light finding its way into the room from the night traffic outside.  Artemis was lying at her feet, quietly curled up and pretending to sleep.  One more hour until midnight, when she was going to have to tell Rei.

            The frown she'd worn all evening was still on her face.  It, along with the anger underlying it, were foreign things to her.  Yes, she had frowned before, just as she'd felt anger.  But it had never been quite this strong or lengthy, and it had never been directed at people she loved.

            She reached for the chain around her neck and found the ring it held.  Gliding the ring back and forth along the chain, Minako thought about her parents.  She did love them, even if she had a hard time getting along with her mother.  When you honestly loved someone, that love didn't just go away, no matter how angry you might get at them.  But they weren't being fair about this.

             Minako's hand paused and fully gripped the ring.  Slowly, she sat up, which caused Artemis to raise his head from his paws.  The cat watched as Minako reached behind her and undid the chain.  She slid the ring off the necklace, set the chain on her nightstand, then replaced the ring on her finger.  For several minutes, she sat and stared at her hand and the ring that glinted in the nighttime dimness.  Then she abruptly got up and turned on the light.

            Artemis squinted against the sudden burst of artificial light that engulfed the room.  When he could see again, Minako was quickly rooting through a pile on the floor.  She emerged triumphant with a duffle bag and proceeded to immediately begin filling it with clothes.

            "Mina, what are you doing?" asked Artemis, sure he wasn't going to like the answer.

            "I'm packing," answered Minako as she continued to fill her bag.  "I suggest you do the same thing, if there's anything you want to bring with you.  I don't know if we'll be coming back."

            "Where do you think we're going?"

            "To Rei's.  Don't ask silly questions."

            Artemis sighed.  He understood her wanting to do this, but had to at least try and talk some logic into her impulsiveness.  "Running away isn't going to solve things, Mina," he said gently.

            Minako paused in her frantic packing.  "I know, Artemis," she said quietly.  "But it can't make things much worse.  Don't you understand?  This isn't my home anymore.  Rei is.  And Fate can't wash your back if you don't give It any soap."

            "Mina?"

            "Setsuna told me once that nothing happens by accident," explained Minako.  "Fate set up everything so we would become Senshi when we were supposed to.  And Fate gave me Rei.  I have no doubt that on my 20th birthday, I'll be able to stand beside her, regardless of what happens between then and now.  That's Fate.  What happens in the three years between then and now, though, that's up to me.  If I'm supposed to be somewhere else, then that's what will happen.  But I refuse to just sit by and let everything happen to me without at least trying to fight for what's mine.  I'm going home, Artemis."

            "Okay," said Artemis, resigning himself to Minako's will.  If she wanted to fight, then he would stand beside her, win or lose.  "Let me help you pack, then, so you don't forget anything."  He began to move towards the nightstand to retrieve Minako's chain, but she stopped him.

            "Leave it," she said, a shadow of her old smile coming back to her lips.  "I don't need it anymore."

*            *            *

            When she didn't come out for breakfast, he'd just assumed she had finally settled down a bit and was taking advantage of her forced vacation.  When he had finished the last of his coffee and still hadn't heard anything from either her or her cat, he began to worry.  He'd seen the look Minako had worn as she'd gone off to her room last night.  Perhaps she was taking all of this harder than he'd anticipated.  He supposed, though, he couldn't blame her for not wanting to speak to her parents this morning.  Still, there was something not right about how quiet she was being.  He suspected her mother noticed it also, from the looks she kept shooting in the general direction of Minako's closed bedroom door.

            It was her mother who broke first.  She got up from the table and set her dishes in the sink before walking calmly to Minako's door.  She paused for a moment, seemingly unsure and a bit nervous.  The indecision was short lived, however, and Minako's mother knocked lightly on the door.  This surprised her husband, because she'd declared emphatically that Minako's privacy had disappeared along with their family's the day they'd been thrust into the headlines.  For her to change her mind now showed just how reluctant she was to see what was behind that door.

            When she got no answer, Minako's mother raised her hand once more and knocked more loudly.  Again, there was no answer.  Rather than knock again, her hand instead reached for the door knob and turned it.

            His wife's curse was loud and uncharacteristic.  It was also a relief in its own strange way.  Before he could dwell on that for too long, he was up and in the bedroom doorway, staring at the same thing his wife was:  an extremely messy room and no Minako.

*            *            *

            Rei shifted a bit, sitting up straighter and moving one arm out from under Minako's weight just enough to restore the circulation.  She resettled against the headboard of the motel bed and closed her eyes.  She was tired, but sleep eluded her.  It was a combination of nerves, adrenaline, and not knowing what might come crawling out from the corners of the room that kept her up.  But this place was the type used to getting strange visitors at all hours of the night, and they would take your money, no questions asked.  After Minako showed up on her doorstep, luggage and Artemis in tow, this was the best Rei could do to keep them from getting into any more trouble, at least for the time being.

            The stirring of the girl curled up against her side caused Rei to open her eyes.  She looked down into Minako's blue eyes and gave her a tentative smile.

            Minako returned the gesture, her arms tightening around Rei for several seconds.  "Did you manage to get any sleep?" she asked quietly.

            "A little," lied Rei.

            Minako nodded slightly, then said, "I hope Artemis got to Usagi's okay."

            "I'm sure he did," answered Rei.  "We'll call him later to make sure.  After we figure out where we're going to go.  I'd like to at least be someplace I can take a shower without any kind of yuck factor involved."

            Minako giggled, the beginnings of a genuine smile on her lips.  "This place isn't as bad as you keep saying.  Your standards are just too high.  But maybe we could go to Mako-chan's for awhile.  Ami did tell us where they hide the emergency key."

            After several moments of thought, Rei answered, "For a few hours, maybe, if we're sure no one's following us.  I don't want to stay there, though.  This is too much stress to put on them.  It would be better if we just find a hotel to stay at.  Hopefully one where no one will recognize us.  I have enough money for a couple days, and then…"

            Minako waited as Rei's voice trailed off.  When nothing more was forthcoming, she prompted with a gentle, "And then?"

            Letting out a frustrated sigh, Rei snapped, "I don't know!  Why am I supposed to be the one with all the answers?"  Her eyes closed and let her head fall back against the headboard.  "I don't know."

            Surprised, and suddenly feeling a bit guilty, Minako slowly reached up and placed her fingers against Rei's cheek.  She stroked gently until Rei's tension started to ease.  When Rei finally opened her eyes, Minako said, "It's okay, Rei.  I don't think you have to have all the answers.  We'll figure things out together.  We'll go talk to the others, see what they think, and everything will get worked.  We'll be okay."

            Rei grinned weakly at the hope and reassurance she heard in Minako's voice.  She reached out and took a lock of Minako's hair in her hand, threading the strands around her fingers.

            "Should we call Grandpa?" asked Minako.

            "No," answered Rei.  "Not yet.  I'd rather he didn't have to lie for us if anyone comes looking for you.  And I left him a note, so he knows I'm okay."

            Minako moved away from Rei a bit and sat up completely before taking Rei's hand and tugging her into a new position.  Rei relented reluctantly, staying on top of the blanket, but resting her head on Minako's lap the way the blonde wanted her to.

            "That's it, Rei," said Minako, her voice as soothing as the fingers that ran through Rei's dark tresses.  "Lie down and get some rest.  I'll watch out for the creepy crawlies for awhile."

            Rei ignored the little giggle from Minako that was aimed at her dislike of this particular establishment.  Instead, she pulled Minako closer for warmth and allowed her eyes to close as she tried once again to summon sleep.

*            *            *

            For the last few days, there had been a dark cloud of ill feeling hanging over the shrine.  Grandpa had hoped it would all blow over quickly.  That didn't seem to be happening, though, not with Rei's father taking every opportunity he could to further feed the public on what should have been a family matter.  And now he had to deal with one more thing darkening his doorstep.

            Grandpa reminded himself that he was playing the role of respectable family elder in this case, but only for Rei's sake.  As such, he tried not to judge the man in front of him solely on appearances.  The uncomfortable stiffness in his posture, as well as the displeased expression on his face, could very likely just be the results of having to deal with an unsatisfied press and the invasion of his own privacy.  Grandpa also suspected it had more than a little to do with the vague note Rei had left behind this morning in place of herself.

            "Good morning, Aino-san," said Grandpa pleasantly, hoping his tone would help set the direction of this encounter.  "It's good to finally meet you, though I had hoped our fist meeting would be under better circumstances."

            "Forgive my rudeness, sir, but I'm not here for a social call," answered Minako's father.  "It's been a very trying morning, and the only reason I'm here is because I want to know where my daughter is.  And I want her returned to me immediately."

            So that was what Rei had meant by 'with a friend.'  The polite smile Grandpa wore began to fade.  Calmly, he replied, "She isn't here.  I'm afraid I don't know where she is."

            After a deep breath that seemed to be as much about calming his temper as frustration, Aino-san said, "I'm sure your granddaughter has some idea where Minako might be.  If you would be good enough to ask her, I would appreciate it."

            "Rei isn't here at the moment."

            Minako's father raised an eyebrow at that.  Then he shook his head.  "Of course she isn't.  I shouldn't be surprised about that."  His hand reached into his pocket and began to fiddle with his keys.  "I'd prefer not to have to bring the authorities into this, but I will if I have to.  She has until tomorrow night to come home with no further consequences.  If you speak to your granddaughter, please ask her to relay that for me."

            Grandpa nodded.  Then he said, "If I may?  It's been my experience that if a child feels threatened, they only run further away.  But if you give them some understanding, even with disapproval, they come home on their own."

            Through narrowed eyes and an even deeper frown, Minako's father replied, "I'm assuming you knew about this… relationship."

            "I did."

            "And you just simply condoned it?"

            "At first, I had some concerns," answered Grandpa as he folded his arms casually across his chest.  "But I realized I had truly little reason for that concern.  Rei isn't a child.  She understands what she's doing.  And Minako is a fine young woman who any family would be proud to count among their own."

            "Look, whatever you want to teach your child, and however you want to raise her, is no concern of mine," said Minako's father, the color in his face rising with his blood pressure.  "Just don't try and include my daughter in any of it.  The responsibility for her lies solely with my wife and me.  So if she comes back here, I expect you to send her home.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to take care of this morning."

            Grandpa didn't bother saying anything further as the man in front of him turned and walked away.  He stood for several moments, alone and in silence, before leaving the room.  There was only so much that could be chalked up to youth and desperation.  He hoped dearly that Rei and her friend hadn't crossed that line.

*            *            *

            Very glad to be getting out of this place, Rei turned in the key to the room she and Minako had been using.  The motel was near lifeless at this time of day, the usual patrons all having gone back to their day to day lives.  Rei didn't have day to day life to go back to just yet, but she did have friends with a spare key.  She and Minako could stay at Makoto's until Ami and Makoto came home, and then just take it from there.

            They were almost to the exit when a voice said from behind a newspaper, "If you're going to shack up with your girlfriend in a love motel for the night, you could at least pick someplace a little more upscale than this."

            Rei froze in place, the nerves she'd finally managed to tie up instantly fraying.

            The newspaper lowered to reveal the smug smile of Kojima Ishata.  "And while you're at it," he went on, "you should make sure no one's tailing you.  How goes it, kid?  Gonna introduce me to your sweetheart?"

            Rei glared daggers at the man as Minako tugged on her arm.  "Rei, do you know this guy?"

            Kojima stepped forward before Rei could say anything and bowed with great flare before Minako.  "Kojima Ishata, journalist for The Tokyo Daily.  It is my pleasure to finally meet you."

            Minako took a reflexive step back.  "Um… nice to meet you?" she started to say hesitantly before Rei stepped completely in front of her.

            "Listen here, you rat," said Rei loudly.  "I told you the other day to leave us alone.  You've got no idea why we're here, and you've got no right to know, either.  So just go back to the sewer you crawled out of!"

            "That's rather harsh," replied Kojima, a hurt expression on his face.  Then he grinned.  "But you do have a valid point.  What the two of you were doing up there, no one really needs to know about.  Besides," he said with a shrug, "this isn't the kind of story The Daily would run."

            Rei stared at the man, dumbfounded.  Which was nothing compared to Minako's confusion as she watched these two, who obviously knew each other…

            "Wait a minute," said Minako suddenly, the proverbial light bulb coming on.  "Kojima from The Daily?  You're the one who wrote that first article about us."

            Kojima nodded, obviously quite pleased to have Minako recognize him.

            "It doesn't matter who he is," jumped in Rei.  "And why are you here if you can't use this as part of another article?"

            With a smirk, Kojima answered, "Because I want a statement from you.  I'm tired of listening to your old man.  He'll say anything to anyone who asks.  But you…  We're lucky if we get so much as a 'no comment' or 'go to hell.'  So, when the guy I had outside your house last night called and said he was trailing you downtown, I thought I'd take a chance."

            "You shouldn't have wasted your time," said Rei.  Then she grabbed Minako's wrist and started pulling her towards the exit.

            "I wouldn't go that way if I were you," called Kojima.

            Rei would have ignored him if Minako hadn't forced her to stop.  "Why not?" asked the blonde.

            "My cameraman's still out there, parked at just the right angle to get a lovely shot of you framed nicely in the doorway of Motel Paradise."

            "I thought you said you couldn't run this kind of story."

            "The Daily won't," answered Kojima.  "But there are others who will.  I'm always up to a little pseudonym labeled freelancing."

            Rei's shoulders slumped and she sighed.  "Don't they make you sign contracts against that sort of thing?"

            Once again, Kojima shrugged.  "Eh."  Then he smiled at them.  "Tell you what, we'll make a trade.  You go out the alley, and I'll pretend I never saw you here.  In return, you promise to talk to me before going to anyone else, should you feel like making any kind of official comments.  How about it?  Deal?"

            Rei scrutinized the man before her.  She had no real reason to believe he had anyone out there at all, or if he did, that the person wasn't waiting in the alley to ambush them.  Still, at this point, she didn't have anything but her pride left to lose.  So, abruptly and without saying a word, Rei jerked Minako in the opposite direction and headed for the alleyway.

            Kojima couldn't stop grinning as the girls hurried passed him.  And he couldn't help a chuckle as he heard Minako ask Rei to slow down and question just how it was she knew 'that guy' anyway.  The last thing he heard before sitting back down and picking up the sports section was an agitated, "I'll tell you later."

*            *            *

            Rei sat on the breakfast counter in Makoto's kitchen, the phone to her ear and her bare feet tapping anxiously against the cabinets beneath her.  Minako was out in the other room with Luna and Artemis, while Rei had retreated in here to call her grandfather.

            "Grandpa, it's me," she said when he answered.

            Rei heard him exhale heavily before saying, "Finally.  Where are you, Rei?  Are you and your friend all right?"

            "We're doing okay," she answered.  Then she hesitated for a moment, debating with herself before continuing, "It would be better if you don't know where we are, though.  I think you know I'm with Minako, and her dad is looking for her.  We barely missed him once this morning, and I'm sure he'll come by there.  I don't want to put you in the middle of this anymore."

            "He's already been here," replied Grandpa.  "This was probably the first place he came.  Now, tell me where you are."

            Rei stopped biting her lip to answer, "Ami and Makoto's."

            "Don't sound so worried about telling me.  I won't tell anyone where she is.  But Minako's father wants her home.  He said she won't be punished if she comes home by tomorrow night."

            "They're already punishing her!" shot back Rei.  "They're sending her away to boarding school.  All because she got involved with me.  I won't let that happen."

            "You won't have an easy time changing her father's mind.  He doesn't seem to me like the type to back down from his decisions.  You can't run forever, Rei."

            "Yes, we can, if we have to."

            Grandpa sighed in exasperation, and Rei could picture him with his hand to his forehead to ward off the headache this was likely causing him.  "You have to make your own decisions about this.  Just remember that you also have to live with the consequences of those decisions.  Think before you do anything else."

            "I know, Grandpa.  I will, I promise."

            "You can bring her back here if you want to.  But if her parents come back for her, I won't be able to stop them from taking her home."

            "I understand," answered Rei.  "We're making other plans, so don't worry about it.  We aren't staying here much longer, either."

            "Whatever you do," said Grandpa, "you're going to have to come home tomorrow morning.  The monsignor called.  We have an appointment at the school tomorrow at nine.  Unless you took your uniform with you, you'll need to come back here to get ready."

            Rei groaned quietly and ran a hand through her hair.  "I'd forgotten about that.  Okay, Grandpa, I'll be home tomorrow."

            "I'll see you then.  And be careful, Rei," said Grandpa before saying goodbye.

            Rei hung up the phone and slid off the counter.  Now that she was done talking herself, she could hear the voices in the other room.  They must have gotten home while she was on the phone.  Usagi's voice stood out over the others, and Rei grinned.

            In the livingroom, Ami and Makoto stood by Minako as Usagi threw her arms around her neck and held on as if she hadn't seen Minako for a year.  For a moment, Rei smiled warmly at the sight.  Then the smile turned to a smirk.  "You know, Odango, there are some women who wouldn't take kindly to you hanging onto their girlfriends like that."

            "Rei!" called Usagi happily.  She tried to take a step towards Rei without letting go of Minako.  When she realized she couldn't, she whimpered slightly, her eyes darting between her friends as she tried to decide what to do.

            Rei made it easy on her princess and moved over to the group.  As soon as she was close enough, Usagi latched onto her with one arm and pulled her even closer.

            "Yeah, I missed you, too, Usagi," said Rei quietly as she returned the hug.  After a few moments, she wriggled away from Usagi's stranglehold.  "Okay, okay, that's enough.  You're wrinkling my shirt," she complained, using her hands and making a show of smoothing out her t-shirt.

            The girls settled down in the livingroom, with Ami, Usagi, Rei, and Minako squeezing together on the couch.  As Makoto slouched down in her chair and propped her feet up on the coffee table to get comfortable, Rei  began to explain in better detail what her hosts had already been told by Usagi.

            "We came here from the hotel," went on Rei, already reassured more than once that it was okay they were here.  "If we'd been 15 minutes later, we would have run right into Minako's father."

            "At least I know he's looking for me," said Minako.

            "He's been by the shrine, too," added Rei.  "I bet he's hitting each one of our homes trying to find out where we've gone."

            "I guess that explains the note that was on the door," threw in Makoto.

            "What note?"

            "The one that's in my trashcan," answered Makoto around a grin.  "Does he really think I'd call him to rat you guys out?"

            Minako shrugged.  "I guess he's hoping you're all more 'reasonable' than I am."  She caught Artemis as he jumped up onto her lap and held him loosely as she went on.  "I never told him about you and Ami, only that you were moving into a new apartment.  My parents still think Ami lives with her mom."

            Luna joined the girls and Artemis up on the couch by moving onto Ami's lap.  She was greeted by a light scratching around her ears, to which she responded with a low, involuntary purr.  Then, remembering herself, she settled more seriously and faced Minako.  "Are you certain you don't want to go back home?  It may be possible that this whole boarding school idea is just a knee-jerk reaction to everything that's happened.  You may still be able to reason with your parents."

            Minako shook her head.  "No, Luna, my parents thought this out.  They want me away from all of this.  And away from Rei.  Now, with my running away like this, there won't be any other sort of reasoning.  My mom wasn't just talking, either, the other day when she said she wished they'd sent me back to England.  If I go back there now, she'll have me enrolled and on a plane before I can say Big Ben."

            Luna nodded, and for a moment, silence fell over the group.  In her chair, Makoto fidgeted a bit, drawing Ami's attention.  When she sat up straighter and leaned forward slightly, her eyes holding Ami's the whole time, she got everyone else's attention as well.  Finally, she said to Ami, "It can't hurt just to mention it.  Let her decide what she wants to do."

            A tiny frown formed on Ami's lips, clearly indicating she didn't like the idea, but she nodded slowly once in agreement.

            "Okay," said Makoto.  She took a moment to gather her thoughts and figure out how to approach this.  "Um, well, me and Ami sort of started discussing this a few nights ago after everything happened.  Well, not this, exactly.  More like that it was a shame you didn't have more control over what was happening to you, and how I kind of sympathized because I remember how frustrated I felt when I had to go through Yoshiro-san for the final word on everything.  I was making all the decisions, but, ultimately, he had control over everything, and that annoyed me to death."

            "Who's Yoshiro-san?" asked Usagi.

            "Oh.  He's my guardian.  He was, anyway."

            More than a little confusion passed among the girls.  "You have a guardian?  Since when?" asked Rei.

            "_Had_ a guardian," corrected Makoto.  "And since my parents died.  You guys don't really think anyone would let an eight-year-old live by herself, do you?"

            "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that exactly what you were doing?"

            One corner of Makoto's mouth turned up into a lopsided grin.  "Yeah, more or less.  Yoshiro-san was never a family man.  He only took me on out of respect for my father, since they were good friends and business partners.  He also thought I was too financially independent to be reliant on the state for my upbringing.  Which basically means he didn't trust them, so he decided to do it his way instead.  I went through three nannies in one month before he finally agreed to let me try it on my own.  He kept an eye on me, mostly through his assistants, and he made sure I knew how to handle my money before he turned control of my bank account over to me.  Actually, Ami's got a term for it all."

            "Salutary neglect," said Ami when Makoto waved it off to her.

            Usagi's eyes narrowed as she turned the words over in her head.  "Salu-what-what?"

            Ami smiled at the blonde.  "It means, on paper, Makoto belonged to him, but he wasn't really taking care of her the way a parent should.  He didn't harm her, and he made sure she had all the necessities she needed to live, but he never really cared for her, either.  The relationship was purely a legal one."

            "Which was exactly the way I wanted it," interjected Makoto.  "If he'd really tried to be a father to me, he wouldn't have made out any better than those nannies he hired.  And he's a good man, regardless of how it all sounds.  His handling of my larger accounts is the only reason I can live like I do, and he doesn't get anything in return for what he does for me."

            Minako bit the corner of her lip and nodded.  "Mako-chan, I'm not really seeing what any of this has to do with me.  I mean, it's kind of neat finding out you have a guardian and all…"

            "That's the thing," interrupted Makoto.  "And it's what I keep saying.  He's not my guardian anymore.  When I turned 14, Yoshiro-san decided since I was already living as an adult and had proven I could handled it, there was no reason I shouldn't be completely recognized as one.  So, he helped me petition the court to make me an emancipated minor."

            "It means she's legally an adult," said Ami when two pairs of blue eyes turned to her.  "But Makoto's situation was different than Minako's," she said by way of caution.  "Her guardian endorsed the idea.  I don't think Minako's parents will simply agree to it, and they do have the right to challenge it.  Aside from that, if you were successful, it absolves your parents of any responsibility towards you.  They'll still be your parents, but they won't have to support you anymore, nor will they have to house you, and since you've already graduated 9th grade, they aren't compelled to educate you any further.  You would become completely independent and responsible for yourself."

            "Actually, if you can't prove you have a place to live and a way to support yourself, the court won't even consider the request," said Makoto a bit ruefully.

            "That isn't a problem," replied Rei.  "She lives at the shrine with me.  Grandpa can give her a job if she has to have one."

            "Mina?" said Artemis quietly when the girl sat silent as everyone talked around her.

            All eyes were on her now, and Minako felt the pressure from the need to make a decision.

            "Minako," said Ami gently, "you don't have to decide right away.  It was just an idea we had that we thought might help.  Keep in mind, though, that if you do decide to try this, you won't be able to take it back, no matter what the outcome might be."

            "Thanks, Ami," answered Minako, reaching across two laps to take her friend's hand and give it a squeeze.  "But I suppose, if I'm being honest, that the decision has already been made.  I knew when I left, I wouldn't likely be going back there, and we can't hide out for much longer.  So, if I try Mako-chan's idea, and it doesn't work, my parents ship me off to boarding school overseas.  If I don't try Mako-chan's idea, eventually I'm going to have to go back, and my parents will still ship me off to boarding school overseas.  From my point of view, I've got nothing to lose, and we haven't come up with any better ideas."

            "If you want, I can call Yoshiro-san in the morning," offered Makoto.  "Find out how to get all this started."

            Minako nodded.  "Thanks, Mako-chan.  I'd appreciate it."

            "No problem," answered Makoto.  She stood and stretched her arms out in front of her.  "I say we all eat, cause I'm starving.  And none of that hotel nonsense.  You guys stay here tonight."  She turned and started to head towards the kitchen, not waiting for either Rei or Minako to protest.  "Come on, Usagi, you and Ami can help me.  I've got a foolproof dessert recipe for you to try out."

            Ami stood as well, keeping Luna with her.  "There are some leftovers in the refrigerator for you and Artemis," she said to the cat.  "I'll get them for you if you come out here with us."

            Taking the hint, Artemis jumped down and followed them into the kitchen.

            Once alone, Rei and Minako filled in the spot Usagi had vacated and moved closer together.  Rei put her arm around Minako's shoulders and held her, Minako's head resting on Rei's chest.  Minako closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Rei's heart, the steady beat slowing down her world and calming her.  _Just like this, forever, she thought.  _This is how it's supposed to be.__

*            *            *

            Sitting on the bedroom floor, a few books scattered around her and her notes from the day illuminated by her booklight, Ami highlighted the particular section of the lesson she was having issues with.  She read over the paragraphs more slowly, taking apart the individual sentences to find their meaning.  Even as she did this, she still wasn't coming up with the same conclusions her teacher had reached.  Perhaps she would bring it up in class tomorrow.  Hideo-sensei always did seem to enjoy a challenge to her own way of thinking.

            The bed shifted behind her, and Ami looked up from her notes, pushing her glasses back up from where they had slid down her nose as she did.

            Makoto sat on the edge of the bed, blinking sleepily.  She yawned once, then squinted down at Ami.  "There you are," she said, her voice sleepy-rough.  She stood slowly and pointed towards the doorway.  "Be right back."

            Ami turned back to her books and reanalyzing the passage until a toe disturbed her by nudging against her thigh.

            "It's almost one," said Makoto.  "Come to bed."

            "In a few minutes," answered Ami without looking up.  "Just let me finish this."

            Makoto stayed where she was, standing over Ami, and crossed her arms over her chest.  "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

            Ami slowly closed her book and removed her glasses before looking fully up at Makoto.  "No, not really," she answered quietly.

            "Don't lie," teased Makoto, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.  "If you were really obsessing over your schoolwork the way it looks like you are, you'd be out at your desk because you don't care if anyone sees you studying.  But you're in here hiding because you don't want Rei or Minako to wake up and see you, which means you're upset with me about bringing up that whole thing with Minako, and you're using schoolwork as an excuse for not coming to bed."  Makoto nodded, pleased with her breakdown of the situation.  "Yep, that's how it is."

            Ami offered back a small smile for Makoto's mental efforts and rose from the floor.  She went over to sit on the bed, tucking her feet under her as she did.  "I'm more concerned than I am angry," she said.  "I really do wish you hadn't brought that up, Mako-chan."

            "Why?" asked Makoto as she sat on the bed beside Ami.  "It was just an idea, and you heard Minako.  She doesn't really have anything to lose if this doesn't work."

            Ami's lips formed a thin line, and her eyes cast down.

            "Come on, Ami," said Makoto, her finger reaching for Ami's chin to tilt it back up.  When they were eye to eye again, Makoto lifted a finger and tapped it against Ami's forehead.  "Tell me what's going on up here."

            "She can't win, Mako-chan," answered Ami solemnly.  "From a purely legal perspective, if her parents choose to fight this, they'll win, because they haven't done anything wrong, and no judge will take away their right to raise their daughter just because they won't let her date whoever she wants to.  And I'm afraid of what will happen afterwards.  This could very well destroy whatever relationship Minako has left with her parents, because there is going to be a lot more anger and hurt feelings, not to mention hurt pride, caused by this."

            "Ami, sweetie, Minako's relationship with her parents went out the window when all of this started."

            Ami shook her head.  "If that were true, they wouldn't care one way or the other where she is right now or what she's doing."

            "Okay," sighed Makoto.  "If that's what you've really been thinking, why didn't you say any of that earlier?"

            "Because when you first brought it up, I had no idea Minako was going to run away.  I certainly never believed this would become a viable option for her."  Ami took a breath, then reached over to finger the sleeve of Makoto's nightshirt.  "And because I don't have a better solution for her.  I can tell her to be cautious, but how can I completely take away the only real chance she thinks she has to be with Rei when I can't give her something to replace it?"

            Taking the hand that was tracing along a seam over her shoulder, Makoto twined her fingers around Ami's.  "Have a little faith, Ami.  And who knows?  Maybe this time Fate will wind up smiling on all of us at once."


	23. Consequences pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while. 

**********************

Chapter 23:  Consequences – pt 1

            The monsignor's office was best described as dark and austere.  Morning light came in through the two windows behind the large oak desk that Rei and her grandfather sat in front of, but the sunshine seemed to be swallowed up by the polish of the wood paneling and the deep burgundy of the carpet.  The bookshelves were a shade darker than the walls and held books and trinkets that easily gave away the profession and faith of their owner.  A few plaques and scholarly degrees decorated the walls, along with a too-lifelike-for-comfort crucifix that hung squarely between the two windows.

            At ten after nine, Monsignor Reilly entered the room, hurrying and yet still seeming to move at a calm and leisurely pace.  "Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologized as he took his seat behind the desk.  "Small matter in the chapel that needed to be attended to."

            Grandpa nodded in response.  "That's perfectly all right.  We haven't been waiting long."

            Reilly leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands on top of the desk.  "Well, I suppose we should get right to business.  The board met privately Wednesday night, and, after several hours of discussion, we felt we'd reached a solution that will be best for all concerned.  Believe me when I say this was not an easy matter for us.  There was no small amount of disagreement over how Rei should be handled.  She has been a student with us for so long, it was felt by the majority that had this incident not been so publicized, we might have been able to overlook it with certain conditions imposed.  However, the publicity surrounding things has tied our hands.  There isn't a student, teacher, or parent who doesn't know what's happened.  Therefore, this is what we propose."

            The monsignor's face lost some of its socially pleasant quality as his tone became more serious and businesslike.  "Rei will be withdrawn from the school voluntarily.  She won't return to class, however, she will be allowed to take finals separately from the other students.  We will provide her with all the study materials necessary, as well as a schedule for the exams.  After she's completed testing, we will assist you in whatever placement procedures necessary to enroll Rei in whatever school she chooses to attend.  We also ask that any further issues involving the school and yourselves be handled civilly and privately from this point on."

            As the man before her spoke, Rei's fingers dug harder and harder into the arms of her chair.  In her chest she could feel the growing weight of anger and dread.  When he finished speaking and sat with a calmness that matched her grandfather's, Rei asked harshly, "What if I refuse to leave voluntarily?"

            Reilly frowned at Rei, whether it was because she was challenging him or because she had spoken out of turn, Rei wasn't certain.  However, he answered her question, even if he didn't like the tone it was delivered in.  "Then you will be immediately expelled and an incomplete will be placed on your record for the trimester."

            "Rei," broke in her grandfather as he sat expressionless beside her, his fingers steepled against his lips.  "Go light a candle for your mother.  I'd like to speak with the monsignor privately.  Go on," he repeated more forcefully when Rei did no more than stare at him.

            Her jaw clenched tight to hold back her argument as Rei rose from her seat and left the room.

            After the door closed, Grandpa looked up at the monsignor.  The man shifted uncomfortably under the direct gaze of his elder.  While this person was never one he'd been inclined to take seriously, the piercing stare he was being fixed with made Reilly feel smaller and less sure, as if there was something he'd missed along the way that this man already held within himself.

            Grandpa took a slow breath, then began to speak in an even tone.  "In the last years of her life, my daughter found something in your beliefs that gave her comfort.  She wanted Rei to know that part of her, to understand it and respect it, even if she didn't practice it.  And she knew that part of her was something I didn't understand or approve of, so she came up with this school as her answer.  I believe, however, that Rei has learned well more than her mother ever intended, and I agree it would be best if she moved on."

            Reilly cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair.  "It's good to have your cooperation in this.  I'll be meeting with Rei's teachers later this afternoon to work out the details of her exam schedule.  I would guess all the information will be ready for her by Wednesday morning."

            Grandpa nodded and stood to leave.  "I'll have someone come and pick it up.  If that's all we have to discuss, good day to you, Monsignor."

            After being shown to the door, Grandpa walked slowly to the school's chapel.  He stood at the entrance to the sanctuary for a moment and watched his granddaughter as she sat alone in a middle pew.  Quietly, he walked up to her and stood in the aisle beside her.

            "You're going to let them expel me," said Rei softly.  There was no accusation in her voice, none of the anger her grandfather expected.

            "Yes," he answered, looking forward at the alter rather than at Rei.  His hand came to rest on her shoulder.  "You have to choose your battles, Rei, and you have more important ones ahead of you."

*             *            *

            The breeze stirred up some leaves and brushed them passed her legs as Minako sat on the swingset.  The swing swayed gently as she watched three children playing on the monkeybars on the other side of the playground.  She could hear their laughter, and for a moment, she envied them the ability to just be happy and enjoy a late Sunday afternoon.

            She heard no footsteps behind her, but she felt the presence of the person as she walked up behind her.  Minako knew who it was, knew she didn't have to worry regardless, because Artemis was keeping watch over her from the picnic tables under the trees.  So, as Setsuna sat in the swing beside her, Minako grinned.  She also committed the image to memory, because the sight of Setsuna sitting casually on a playground swing wasn't something she expected she'd see again anytime soon.

            "You're by yourself today?" asked Setsuna.

            "Artemis is with me," answered Minako.  "Rei's at the shrine.  We're going back there for good tonight.  Have you guys heard about what we're trying to do?"

            "Yes."

            Minako pushed her foot against the ground lightly to get some of her momentum back.  "The same lawyer who handled everything for Mako-chan is doing everything for me.  She asked to meet with me alone this afternoon, informally, before the real meeting tomorrow morning.  Right before we finished the meeting, she asked me a question.  Why am I doing this?"

            "And what did you tell her?"

            Her swing stopped abruptly as Minako's feet touched the dirt.  She leaned back, her hands high on the swing's chains, and stared up at the sky.  "Rei," said Minako as she watched the clouds drift by.  "She's the first thing I think of when I imagine having to leave, and she's the thing that makes it hurt the most.  But there's more to it than that."

            Minako righted herself and looked over to Setsuna.  "I'm happy with my life and my friends, and more comfortable with things than I ever have been before.  I don't want to let go of that now that I have it, not even for a little while.  And Mako-chan's going to have the baby soon," she added with a grin.  "Miki is our first baby, and my first nephew.  I want to be here to spoil him rotten from day one.  Then, of course, there's Usagi.  Not that I could even begin to explain that to my lawyer."

            Setsuna smiled at the younger girl.  "I can understand how that part might be a bit difficult."

            "Yeah," replied Minako.  "You know, Usagi was the only one of us really surprised when Ami said she wasn't applying to any colleges outside Tokyo.  She just isn't self-centered enough to really get it, I guess."

            Setsuna's smile grew just a fraction, and she tilted her head in a direction behind Minako.  "Speaking of Usagi, it looks as though a few of your friends decided you could use some company."

            Minako looked behind her in the direction Setsuna was indicating.  At the picnic table where Artemis was, Ami and Usagi had just arrived and stood waiting for Minako to finish her conversation.  Minako raised her hand to wave to them and got an enthusiastic wave back from Usagi.  Then she turned back to Setsuna.  "There are some things I want to do, in case I don't get the chance later.  I hate shopping alone, so I asked them to come with me, since Rei and Mako-chan aren't allowed on this trip."

            "Makoto was at the house when I left," said Setsuna.  "I was a bit puzzled as to why Hotaru called her to help with her project.  I suppose now I have some of my answer."

            "Uh huh," replied Minako with a quick nod.  "Peanut butter cookies and Hotaru.  We knew Mako-chan wouldn't be able to say no to that combination.  See, Ami gets anxious when she leaves her alone for too long anymore, so this way, she can relax knowing Mako-chan is in safe custody until she gets done with what I want her for."

            "Beneath all her logic is the heart of a worrier in love," said Setsuna quietly.  "But if I were in her position, I would likely find myself doing the same."  The she asked, "What about Rei?  I'm surprised she didn't insist on coming with you."

            Minako's face clouded over just a bit.  "I used the meeting with the lawyer as an excuse, and I didn't tell her about this part.  She needs some time for herself right now, anyway, where she doesn't have to worry about me.  She's being expelled from TA, and she's more upset about it than she'll admit.  But at least she's home now."  Minako slid off the swing and stood facing Setsuna with her hands in her jacket pockets.  "I'm trying to find a reason, Setsuna.  I look at things the way they are now, and I try to find the 'why.'  I haven't found anything yet, though."

            "I can't promise you ever will," answered Setsuna, her voice sympathetic.

            "I know," said Minako.  Then she forced a grin.  "But for the next few hours, I'm going to forget all about why's and how's, and I'm going to pretend to be normal again.  And I'm going to have fun, because I'm finally going to get Rei back for what she did to me on Valentine's Day."

            Setsuna stood and smiled down at the girl.  "Then you should get going.  I need to get home myself."

            The two made their goodbyes, and Minako hurried over to her waiting friends.

*            *            *

            The jewelry store was the last place they were stopping at after having already spent several hours at various baby boutiques looking for the one thing Minako just had to have for her soon-to-be nephew – a little white sailor suit with navy blue trim.  After that discovery, they'd gone to the arts and crafts store and helped clean out the leftovers of the Valentine's clearance bin.  While Minako wouldn't get specific about what she was planning to do with all the paper hearts and colored construction paper, it wasn't hard for Ami to make a general guess with this final stop.  So, as the saleslady came over to help Minako in her search for a gold band that fit her description of perfect as well as her budget, Ami wandered away from her friends.

            The various displays Ami passed ranged from gaudy and overpriced to classic and elegant.  While there were a few pieces in silver or trimmed in colored gems, the store seemed to favor gold and diamonds.  Such was the case at the glass cabinet where she stopped to admire several rows of diamond rings.

            A small grin formed on Ami's lips when Usagi came up behind her and peered over her shoulder at the display case.  A teasing smirk appeared on the blonde's face just before she said, in the most casual and offhand tone she could muster, "I know that all of you know that no one could ever have a better wedding than me and my Mamo-chan are going to.  But it would be nice if one of my friends would at least try."

            A blush began to form across Ami's cheeks, Usagi having touched on more than she realized, and her gaze dropped down to one of the more classically cut rings she had been favoring.  "I'll tell you a secret, Usagi.  But you must promise to keep it to yourself and not tell anyone."

            Usagi's grin grew wide, and she nodded her head. "I promise.  Cross my heart."

            "I have been thinking about it a bit," admitted Ami.  "Mako-chan seemed so taken by what Rei did for Minako.  I know she would like something like that, and I'd like to do something for her that shows her and everyone else what she means to me.  And Mako-chan has always wished for a real wedding, where she could be a real bride, with all the trimmings.  It was something she really did want, but I can see when she talks about it anymore she's relegated that wish to a silly and useless fairytale, because of everything that's happened and the way we're living.  I'd like to give this to her," said Ami, her fingers running lightly over the glass case, "for everything she's given me.  I can't do it just yet, though.  The timing isn't right, and there are a few things I need to take care of first, so that when I do this, everything is perfect for her."

            Usagi took Ami's hand in hers, a happy light in her eyes.  "It will be, Ami," she said with quiet excitement.  "Whenever you do ask her and however you do it, Mako-chan's going to absolutely love it."

            "Thank you, Usagi," replied Ami, returning some of Usagi's smile.  "Just please remember not to say anything.  I want this to be a surprise for her, as well."

            "I'll remember, don't worry," answered Usagi with a firm nod.  "I can keep a secret when I have to.  I haven't told anybody about your book, after all."

            "What book?" asked Minako, startling both girls enough to make them jump as she came up beside them.

            Usagi struggled to stutter out an answer even as Ami went bright red at just the thought.

            Minako giggled at her friends, then took hold of their arms.  "Never mind," she laughed.  "You can tell me later.  Right now, you have to come see this.  I found just the right one."  With that, she pulled them over to the chosen ring and pronounced that Operation:  Payback had officially begun.

*            *            *

            Small feet padded softly across the den floor.  A plate clinked lightly on one of the end tables as it was set down, just before Haruka felt the cushion beside her dip under the weight of her child.  Lowering the newspaper she'd been reading, Haruka looked over to see Hotaru sitting with her legs crossed and her chin resting on her hands.

            "Are you finished reading yet?" asked Hotaru.  "If you are, we're allowed to eat some cookies.  Michiru-mama made us a plate of them."

            Haruka grinned.  "I thought those cookies were for school."

            Hotaru mirrored the grin right back at her.  "We made a lot of them."

            "Is that so?  Well, I suppose we should eat them, since Michiru went to the trouble of fixing them for us."  As Hotaru turned and crawled across the couch to reach the plate of cookies, Haruka asked, "Where's Mako-chan?"

            "In the kitchen with Michiru-mama," answered Hotaru as she took two cookies and passed the plate to Haruka.  "They're talking about baby stuff."

            "And you don't want to be out there for all of that?"

            Hotaru shook her head and swallowed a mouthful of cookie.  "It's not the good kind of baby talk right now.  I mean, honestly, it's not like I was a baby for all that long.  Is it really important how many diapers I went through or how many times I threw up on you?"

            "It was at the time it was happening," answered Haruka with a smirk.  "We never knew which end it was going to wind up coming out of."

            "Eewww!  That's gross!  You're worse than Michiru-mama," complained Hotaru.  Ignoring the laugh this got from her papa, Hotaru started looking around for the TV remote.  When she found it between the couch cushions, she moved onto the floor, announcing, "It's time for my show.  Do you want to watch it with me?"

            "Sure," answered Haruka.  She took a bite of her cookie, managing to get half of it in her mouth at once, then reached for her paper as Hotaru channel surfed to kill time until her show started.

            The sound of the channels flicking stopped, and Haruka heard the familiar voice of the evening news anchor.  She looked around her paper and saw on the screen what appeared to be an impromptu question and answer session.  It was a common sight anymore, and Haruka frowned as she wondered how many more times and how many different ways the senator was going to find to say, 'Pity me because she's my daughter, but it's not my fault.'

            "Let's watch something else until your show starts," said Haruka when Hotaru didn't change the channel.  "And back up a little.  You're going to mess up your eyes if you keep sitting that close."

            Hotaru didn't move.  Instead, she watched the screen with a concentrated expression.  "That's him," she said quietly.

            "Him who?" asked Haruka.  "You mean Rei's father?"

            "No," answered Hotaru.  She reached forward and put a finger to a man who stood off to the side of the screen.  "Him, with the red tie.  He's the one who was taking our picture."

            "Are you sure?" asked Haruka as she quickly moved down beside Hotaru.  At Hotaru's nod, she said, "Hurry and get me a tape from the video cabinet, then go get Michiru."

            When she was handed the tape, Haruka put it in and hit record after a quick promise to find Michiru another copy of this somehow.  As Hotaru ran out of the room to get Michiru, Haruka carefully watched the tail end of the senator's interview.  Her interest stayed with the man off on Hino's right.  He blended into the background well, which was more than likely a requirement of his job.  Now that he'd been pulled out into the forefront, Haruka studied his face, mentally placing it over the image from the video they'd taken two weeks ago.  They'd made an edited version of the tape for Hotaru to keep, while the original was locked away.  Haruka had watched the original, freezing it for as long as it would hold on that one scene, until she was certain she would know the man if they ever crossed paths.  This wasn't how she'd expected to find him, and certainly not in this particular position.

            "Haruka?  What's going on?" asked Michiru as she came into the room with Makoto and Hotaru.

            Haruka tapped the screen with her knuckle.  "It looks like the senator has a rat in his briefcase."


	24. Consequences pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 24:  Consequences – pt 2

            The house was large, granted, and there were times when Setsuna would come home and have to walk through several rooms before finding someone.  For it to take this long, however, was highly unusual, especially with everyone home and a guest present.  Her curiosity about it all rose significantly when she walked into one of the hallways and found Hotaru crouching on the floor, her ear pressed to a drinking glass against a closed door.  Setsuna crossed her arms over her chest and affected a somewhat sterner countenance.  Then she cleared her throat loudly enough for Hotaru to hear.

            The girl jumped and turned around quickly.  "Setsuna-mama," she stammered out, trying to hide the glass behind her back.  Throwing on her best innocent smile, Hotaru continued rapidly, "You're home.  Um, Haruka-papa told me to wait for you and tell you to come in here when you got back.  She wants to show you the videotape we got today of the man who was taking our picture at Mako-chan's."

            Setsuna lost the 'stern parent' look and asked with some concern, "You saw him again?"

            Hotaru nodded.  "On the TV with Rei's dad.  Haruka-papa says he works for him, that's why he was there.  Then they took the tape in the room with them and wouldn't let me in.  It's not fair, Setsuna-mama.  I'm the one who saw him first both times, and I'm not some stupid little baby," complained the child, her irritation at such treatment very obvious.

            For a moment, Setsuna considered Hotaru's complaint.  True, underneath the child was a great deal of power.  However, she was still a little girl, and finding her the way she just had did nothing to change Setsuna's perception of that.  Granted, Hotaru had more life knowledge than the average nine-year-old, but there were some things one just naturally tried to shield their child from, regardless of what life had already handed them.  

            Setsuna walked up to Hotaru and put out her hand for the glass the girl held.  As Hotaru reluctantly handed it over, Setsuna said, "There's no need for you to be involved in this discussion at the moment.  We'll all talk about it later tonight, but for now, you need to let us handle it.  Even though I know that annoys you a great deal."

            Hotaru frowned as her mother finished speaking.  "You want me to go do something somewhere else, don't you?"

            "Yes, please."

            "Fine, fine," answered Hotaru.  She sighed dramatically for effect, and as she walked sulkingly past Setsuna, mumbled to herself, "It's always wait until later, wait until you're older, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait..."

            Setsuna smiled slightly and shook her head, then reached for the door.  When the door opened, the conversation immediately stopped.  Setsuna walked in and set the glass on a table.  "It's just me.  And I hear I missed some interesting developments while I was out."

            Haruka indicated the TV screens they had set up and paused on a familiar face.  "It's definitely the same guy.  He's part of Senator Hino's entourage, which would have given him opportunity and easy access to any information he wanted on Rei.  Or anything else that would have caused a scandal for his employer, for that matter."

            "What we're trying to do now is figure out his motive," picked up Michiru.  "It would be nice to have a definite why."

            "Money," guessed Setsuna.  "It seems reasonable, and I'm sure the story was worth a good deal to whoever paid for the information."

            Makoto shook her head.  "Rei and I spoke with the reporter who broke the news.  It's a long story," she said at the surprised looks she got.  "But, anyway, he said he got all his information anonymously.  No money ever exchanged hands, and I doubt he was lying about it."

            "He's working for one of the Senator's opponents, then," suggested Michiru.  "Disgrace and scandal can easily shift the people's vote."

            "Makes sense," said Haruka.  "But no one's tried to capitalize on it yet.  The other candidates have all been remarkably quiet on the subject, actually."

            "It's because Senator Hino's public rating is so high," replied Setsuna.  "People are curious about it, but most of them are still backing him.  For one of his opponents to speak out against him or his daughter when they're already being assaulted by the media could cause a backlash they wouldn't easily recover from."

            "Well, whatever the reason, I'm going to have to tell Rei," jumped in Makoto.  "Her dad needs to know about this.  I hate to put more on her, though, with everything that's going on already."

            Haruka nodded.  "And it would be nice if we had a little more to tell her."

            "What are you thinking?" asked Michiru, though she expected she already knew from the look on Haruka's face.

            "I want to find this fellow and talk to him myself," answered Haruka.  "So I can very kindly point out to him that I don't appreciate people sneaking around my family or using my friends for their own gain."

            "'Very kindly,'" repeated Setsuna skeptically.  "That might not be the best approach in this situation."

            "I don't know," said Michiru, appearing as if she were giving the idea a great deal of thought.  "Having a few words with him and letting him know our position on this matter could be very helpful.  And if we can convince him to confess on his own, it would take the burden of having to tell her father off of Rei."

            "I'm coming with you," announced Makoto, the decision to go after the guy as good as made.

            Haruka immediately objected.  "The three of us can handle this on our own."

            "Rei is one of my best friends, and I owe her.  Plus, I've known her longer than all of you," argued Makoto.  "It's my responsibility to tell her about this, and to do that, I have to be there to know what happens.  Besides, I have an advantage you don't."

            Haruka looked at her dubiously, taking in the way she sat half lying in the chair, one hand resting across a belly that seemed to be getting in the way of everything anymore.  Any advantage Haruka could think of was nonexistent here.  Of course, in civilian form, Makoto was still more threatening than Ami or Usagi, but the threat quotient right now for all three of them wasn't much higher than that of a bowl of pudding.

            "All right, Mako-chan," replied Haruka.  "I'll bite.  Just what is this advantage?"

            Makoto smiled as she answered, "I already know where he is."

*            *            *

            It was early evening, and the Sunset Lounge of the Intercontinental was slowly filling with those patrons who preferred this room as a showcase for the setting sun.  Haruka and Michiru sat together at a small table by the wall of windows that overlooked Tokyo Bay.  The purple and orange of the real twilight sky flowed smoothly into the painted sky of orange clouds over their heads.  The recently lit Bay Bridge glowed a pale blue against the darkening day outside, and a slow tune was played on a baby grand only a few feet from them, offering the guests here a pleasant cover for their hushed conversations.

            Haruka took a sip from her glass, taking a moment to watch Michiru in this setting.  Her natural beauty outshone everything around them, as far as Haruka was concerned, as Michiru appeared to gaze out over the water.  Though Michiru's focus seemed to be on something beyond the glass, Haruka knew what she was really watching, because she was watching the same thing in the reflection in the glass over Michiru's shoulder.  Seated in a small cluster of chairs in the center of the room were the Senator and two other men, one of whom was their target.  The three men sat there, relaxing with their drinks and chatting casually, until the Senator's cell phone began to chirp.

            Hino answered the call, listened for several seconds, then replied back.  On his next pause, he covered the phone with his hand and said something quickly to the men with him.  At that point, the one they were after nodded, then got up and left, right before the Senator went back to his conversation.

            Standing slowly, Haruka put out a hand for Michiru to take.  Michiru smiled at her and accepted gracefully.  They left the lounge together, discretely following their target.

            Makoto fidgeted and shifted more to her right side on the hard park bench that sat along one of the more scenic areas of the bay.  They could see the hotel entrance clearly from here, and Setsuna hadn't taken her eyes off it since they'd arrived.  Complaints aside, Makoto understood she was the most conspicuous of the group, and that she needed to stay out of immediate sight.  She only wished she and Setsuna had found a more comfortable place to wait it out while Haruka and Michiru were inside doing the scout work.

            As the streetlights began to flicker on, Makoto wondered if Ami had gotten home yet to get her message.  In a way, she was glad she hadn't had to explain this to Ami over the phone, because Makoto had a feeling Ami would have put up a bigger fight than Hotaru's small pouting fit when she was told they were going without her.  At least the promise of a few hours with Chibi-usa had seemed to make up for whatever the girl thought she would be missing with her parents tonight.

            Hearing Setsuna's communicator signal, Makoto stood and walked over to where the woman was leaning against a tree.  "He's moving," said Haruka's image.  "It looks like he's heading for the entrance."

            "We're watching," answered Setsuna.  Then, a few minutes later, "I see him.  He's moving across to the waterfront."

            Makoto saw Haruka and Michiru exit the hotel and leisurely move off on one side, as she and Setsuna did the same on the other side.  Keeping a reasonable distance, they followed their target until he came upon a woman standing by the railing around the bay.

            "I thought you were quitting," Makoto heard the man say to the woman as she took a drag off her cigarette.

            The woman turned to him slowly, looking less than pleased, and blew a puff of smoke in his face.  Then she dropped what was left of it on the ground and crushed it with the toe of her shoe.  "Do you actually want something this time, Seki?  Or is it just bug the hell out of Kimiko night?"

            Seki glared at her as she pushed a wave of long, dark blonde hair casually over her shoulder.  "The Senator wants you back inside.  Ukio is on the phone with more problems over the expansion project."

            Not bothering to acknowledge Seki any further, Kimiko headed back to the hotel.

            Seki smirked as he leaned back against the concrete railing.  "Bitch," he muttered, reaching inside his jacket for his own pack of cigarettes.  He took one out of the pack and held his lighter to it, clicking it several times without getting a flame.

            "Need a light?"

            "Yeah, buddy, tha…"  Seki looked up, his words cutting off and his smile disappearing when he saw Haruka standing there, sans lighter.  Then he noticed the other three loosely surrounding him and that there was no one else in sight.  "You know, never mind about that light.  I need to get back.  My boss is waiting for me."

            Haruka smiled at him in a less than reassuring way.  "I'm sure your boss wouldn't mind giving you a few minutes to speak with us.  Or perhaps we could all go back inside and speak with him together.  You could go get your camera and take a picture, even, to remember us all by."

            Seki shifted nervously on his feet.  "I really don't have time for this," he said as he tried to maneuver passed Haruka.

            Haruka moved so she was blocking his path.  She stood an inch lower than Seki, but her presence made her seem more dominating, and Seki swallowed hard as he was forced back against the rail.  "You'll make the time," said Haruka.  "Because there's a number of things we need to discuss, starting with how I don't like 30-year-old men secretly taking pictures of my 9-year-old daughter and ending somewhere around how unhappy I get when my friends are being used."

            They knew, that was obvious to Seki.  How much they knew was another matter, and he was going to have a little fun finding out.  Seki calmed down and composed himself internally.  Then he said, "I can understand how those things would upset you.  I'm assuming this is all coming from you somehow having seen me keeping tabs on Senator Hino's daughter, and I can assure that, where your daughter is concerned, I have no interest in her.  I don't think she's in more than two or three photographs, and, if you want, I'd be glad to give you those prints, as well as the negatives."

            That answer threw Haruka off a step.  She'd been expecting more of a denial in there somewhere.  So it was Makoto who picked up for her.  "That doesn't do anything for what you've done to our friends.  We know it was you who gave the story about Rei to the press."

            "I suppose you have some proof of that?" asked Seki calmly.

            "Enough," answered Haruka.  "And I'm sure the Senator will be glad to hear all about it."

            Seki nodded, a smug look on his face.  "I'm sure he will."

            "You don't seem terribly concerned at the prospect," said Michiru curiously.

            Seki shrugged at her.

            "It's because he isn't," answered Setsuna.  "Really look at him," she continued as the thoughts formed in her head.  "He's a coward, and a self-serving one at that.  Men of that nature don't take chances with things that could potentially strip them of their positions and power.  They operate only under those they work for, never on their own."

            "Huh?" asked Makoto.  "What does that mean?"

            "It means," said Michiru, "that the Senator already knows about this, because he was the one who ordered it."

            Seki tilted his head at her, snapping off a two-fingered salute.  "Beautiful and smart."

            Makoto was completely confused by this.  "That doesn't make any sense.  He couldn't.  She's his daughter."

            "She's a liability," returned Seki.  "This is politics, young woman, and family does nothing but cause problems and cost you leverage when you need it most."

            "Why bring her out in the open, then?" asked Haruka.  "I'd think you would want this buried as far as you could get it."

            "If that were possible," answered Seki.  "But nothing gets buried forever.  It was bad enough when she met you two.  You know the old saying, 'Guilt by association.'  But you're just a novelty, a sideshow to amuse people.  When they close the newspaper, they forget about you.  Out of sight, out of mind, because your father isn't sitting in an office somewhere telling them how to live their lives or who they have to let into their neighborhoods, businesses, and schools.  But that's who Rei is, which is why her father has always had someone watching her.  I took over that job when I started working for him, and when I saw her with that girl the first time, I almost died.  Because I guarantee you, if I could catch them, so could anyone else.  So we made the decision to act on it first.  That way, we knew when the story would break, how it would happen, and we'd have all our answers ready, including one to explain how I leaked the story if that little detail ever got out.  And the worst the kid has to deal with is 15 minutes of fame and the press following her around for a few weeks.  In the end, as long as we play it right, no harm done."

            "That's insane!" gasped Makoto.

            "Maybe," returned Seki, his smugness growing and leaving no doubt this idea was his baby.  "But it's all gone exactly as we had planned."

            Haruka's right hook landed squarely on the side of that insufferable grin.  Seki fell to the ground, cursing in pain as he held his bleeding mouth

            "Haruka," scolded Michiru, though it was barely halfhearted.

            "What?  Tell me you didn't want me to do that," she said as she pointed down at Seki.  Then Haruka turned her attention back to him.  "You listen to me.  If I ever see you anywhere near any member of my family again, you'll be in a whole lot more pain than you are right now.  The same goes for Rei and any of her family or friends.  You are done with her, your so called job be damned."

            Seki was in no position to argue, so he just stayed where he was, cowering on the ground, as the girls turned and left.

*            *            *

            Makoto sat quietly, her head resting against the back of the car seat and her eyes closed, as Haruka drove.  They'd dropped the others off at the house, Setsuna tasked with picking Hotaru up from Chibi-usa's, and were now on their way to Rei's.

            The car came to a halt, and when Haruka turned off the engine, Makoto opened her eyes.  She sat for a moment, staring at her hands, then took a deep breath and reached for the door handle.

            "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" asked Haruka as the car door was opened.

            Makoto shook her head.  "I need to do this, and I don't think Rei is going to want an audience."  Then she asked quietly, "Do you know how to tell when something's really important to Rei?"

            "How?"

            "She pretends it's no big deal and not important at all," answered Makoto.  "When she was staying with us, she mentioned in passing that her dad was coming to see her this weekend.  She said it like it was just an everyday little thing that happened all the time.  I can't even imagine how much this is going to hurt her."  Makoto pulled herself up and out of the car, then turned back to Haruka.  "I'm not sure how long this will take."

            "Don't worry about it," answered Haruka.  "I'm in no hurry.  I'll wait for you here."

            Makoto thanked her, then walked the short distance to the steps of the shrine.  "More steps than the apartment," she muttered to herself as she slowly ascended, reminded of the other reason she hadn't been here in so long.

            Once she reached the top, Makoto paused to stretch and catch her breath, intentionally stalling for time in the process.  When she was ready, Makoto moved forward towards the main house.  She walked around the porch to Rei's room, pausing momentarily before knocking.

            Rei opened the door and smiled at her through her surprise.  "Hey, Mako-chan.  What's up?" she asked as she moved aside to let the girl in.

            Makoto, however, stood where she was, rather than going inside.  "I need to talk to you for a few minutes.  Hi, Minako," she said when she saw the blonde sitting at the table with a textbook.

            "Heya, Mako-chan," greeted Minako with a wave.  Then she smiled.  "Thanks for letting me borrow Ami tonight.  I left her off all safe and sound for you."

            "Yeah," complained Rei.  "And she came home with all these bags, but refuses to tell me what's in any of them."

            Minako answered by sticking her tongue out and blowing a raspberry.  Rei replied in kind, and Makoto grinned at them for a moment before a fresh stab of guilt hit her.  Her friends had found a way to be happy tonight, and, responsible for the situation or not, she was about to take that away from them.

            "Rei, do you mind if we walk a little?" asked Makoto, earning a curious look for it.  "I'm restless, and we can talk out here."

            Rei nodded.  "Sure, if that's what you want," she answered, her mood shifting to better match Makoto's cautious and hesitant one.

            Before following Rei away from the room, Makoto paused and said to Minako, "Come and find us in fifteen minutes, okay?"

            "Okay," answered Minako quietly, staring intently after them through the open door as the two walked away together.

            They walked a bit, until they were down in the yard.  Rei chose the place where they stopped, turning and resting her back against one of the trees.  Her arms crossed over her chest, and she asked, "So what's up, Mako-chan?  It must be pretty important for you to come all the way out here by yourself."

            "Yeah, it is," replied Makoto.  "But I'm not here by myself.  Haruka's waiting for me down in the car.  Actually, I've been with her for most of the night.  There was something we had to do."

            She began to explain then, about what they had seen at Haruka's, the idea they had come up with to find the man themselves, and how they had gone about it.  As Makoto recounted what had been said, she watched Rei get progressively tenser.  She couldn't read Rei's expression as well as she would have liked, and wished Minako would get here quickly.  But she did reach out to her friend as she finished speaking, laying a hand lightly against Rei's arm.

            At the contact, Rei stiffened even more.  "He lied to you," she said, her voice deathly low.  "It wasn't the truth."

            "That's possible, I guess," offered Makoto.  "But it's not really likely.  I'm sorry, Rei, but it was your dad."

            "No!" shouted Rei angrily as she shrugged away from Makoto's touch.  "He lied to you to save himself from getting into any more trouble.  He just didn't want you to go to my dad.  And you didn't, did you?  So you don't really know."

            "No, we didn't," admitted Makoto.  "It was different when we thought it was just this one man."

            "It was just him," said Rei as she shakily ran a hand through her hair, pushing her bangs away from her eyes.  "I know I have a lousy father, but he wouldn't do that to me," she went on, her voice beginning to lose some of its firmness.  "He cares about me at least a little.  Why else would he call me to make sure I was okay?  And he wouldn't sell me out like that, not for all the trouble it would cause us.  No father could do that and just let everything fall apart, no matter how miserable they are."

            "Rei?  What's going on?" asked Minako softly as she slowly walked up behind Makoto.

            Rei looked over into those blue eyes filled with worry over her.  When she saw that, everything she was feeling spilled over.  Angry tears filled her eyes as all the hurt and little betrayals she carried in her heart collided and became a physical thing.  The crushing weight in her chest made it hard to breathe and dulled the sting of her nails digging into her palms as her hands clenched tight.

            "Damn him," she whispered harshly.  "How could he?  Damn him!" she spat out once more as she turned quickly and slammed a fist into the tree behind her.

            Makoto winced as Minako moved quickly around her to get to Rei.  Makoto moved more cautiously, wanting to help, but uncertain how much Rei would want from her.  Minako, though, had already wrapped her arms around Rei from behind, trying to calm her and find out what was happening.

            Rei's palms rested against the rough bark of the tree, her body continuing to shake from the emotional release.  "He lied to me again.  And I believed him.  I always believe him."

            "Her father," elaborated Makoto for Minako as she stepped up to them and laid a hand on Rei's shoulder.  "He was behind the initial press on you guys.  He was trying to save face by getting to it first."

            "Oh, Rei," murmured Minako, one hand moving to gently smooth back Rei's hair.

            "I hate him," bit out Rei, her head bowed and her eyes squeezed closed.  "I'll never forgive him for this.  He didn't care at all what would happen to me.  And everything this has done to you…  I hate him so much."

*            *            *

            Ami was working at her desk when Makoto came home that night.  She could tell right away that whatever errand Makoto had needed to take care of hadn't been a pleasant one.  Ami had started to rise, to go to her love and offer some comfort or perhaps talk it out.  But Makoto had put up a hand to stop her, only saying, "Not right now," before going to their room and closing herself in.

            Makoto's request was respected for precisely 30 minutes.  When Ami still hadn't heard anything from her at that point, she got up and went to the bedroom.  After knocking softly, she opened the door to find Makoto sitting on the bed, an old photo album opened beside her.

            Ami went over and climbed onto the bed.  She looked down at the pictures and smiled at what she saw.  Makoto's parents, either alone or together, made up the content of the eight pictures.  The scenery behind them was all ocean and touristy exotic.

            "Their honeymoon," said Makoto.  "Dad used to say he was going to take them back there for their fiftieth anniversary.  He would tease mom about doing the geriatric hula.  Mom always hit him for it, but she'd be laughing when she did.  I laughed, too, but it was because I thought geriatric had something to do with jell-o, and…  Well, never mind what I was picturing.  It's a good memory.  My dad was a good husband and a good father," she said as she traced her fingers over the image in the photo.  "I needed to remind myself what one looks like."

            Ami reached up and carefully brushed back a few stray strands of hair that had fallen from Makoto's ponytail.  That task complete, her fingers passed lightly over Makoto's cheek before she pulled her hand back and asked, "Are you ready to talk about it yet?"

            With a sigh, Makoto closed the photo album, then looked over at Ami.  "It was Rei's father who outted her and Minako to the newspaper.  He set the whole thing up.  And I had to tell her."

            Makoto went on to explain what had happened at Haruka's and all the things that were said at the Bay and the shrine.  She glossed over the scene at Rei's, not wanting to think about the hurt and betrayal she'd left one of her dearest friends with.

            "Poor Rei," said Ami quietly.  "How could anyone do that to their child?"

            "I don't know," answered Makoto.  She closed her eyes for a moment, her hand coming to rest on her stomach.  She stroked the spot absently as she said, "All I know is that it isn't fair.  We don't ask to be born and we don't get to choose our parents.  It's all just one big cosmic crap shoot.  Some of us are lucky enough to get dads who are there every spare minute they have, and others get ones who just don't give a damn.  And for some reason, it's always the rotten ones who get to go on, getting chance after chance, while the good ones get taken away."

            Ami laid her hand atop Makoto's and smiled gently.  "I think it seems that way because the bad ones cause so much hurt when they're around, while the good ones just go on living their lives with their families.  And not all the good ones have disappeared.  My mom isn't perfect, but, even with her faults, I would never trade her for anyone else."

            "Do you miss your dad?"

            Ami's smile faded, and her eyes dropped.  "That's a bit of a complicated question," she answered as her fingers began to play nervously with Makoto's.

            Makoto's fingers wrapped around Ami's to stop their fidgeting, and she ducked her own eyes down to try and catch Ami's gaze.  "I'm sorry," she said.  "That was a stupid thing to ask."

            "It's okay," replied Ami.  "I just need a moment to think of how to phrase an answer.  Let's see…  Most of what I remember about him is good, and  I miss the memory I have of him and the little things we used to do together.  But that isn't really him, just the ideal I have wrapped up in a child's vague memories.  Sometimes, it's hard to separate what I think I remember and what I know actually happened.  So I suppose I really miss the idea of the man more than I miss the man himself.  But at least I know for all the times I've thought about him and wondered, he's also thought about me," she added, glancing up to the framed sketch that hung on the wall.  "His squiggles just couldn't live with my straight lines."

            "Your what?"

            Ami continued to play with Makoto's fingers as she explained, "When Papa left, Mom tried to find a way of explaining it to me so I would be able to understand easily.  She said Papa saw the world like one of his canvases.  On that canvas, she was a straight line, always going in one direction, always neat and ordered.  Papa was like squiggles, always moving and all over the place.  And squiggles and straight lines were just too different to live together and share a canvas.  Mom never said it, but I know Papa used to say I was just like her.  So he couldn't live with me, either," she concluded with a small, sad shrug.

            At that, Makoto made a derisive sound.  "That's just ridiculous.  You are not a straight line.  I don't know what you are, because I don't really know how to think of you like that, but I do know you aren't that boring.  I don't think your mom is either."  She gave a decisive nod, as if her word was final and unchallengeable.

            Ami's smile grew until a small giggle escaped.  "I love you," she said happily.

            "I love you, too," said Makoto as she reached out and pulled Ami closer so she could kiss her forehead.

            When Makoto's lips left her, Ami resettled against her side.  When they were both comfortable, Ami asked, "Would you like to know what you are on my canvas?"

            Makoto looked at her, surprised.  "You've actually thought of me like that?"

            "Yes.  I've thought of all of you in those terms."  Ami used her fingers to count off her friends as she began.  "Usagi, for instance, is swirls and pinwheels, all in pastels, because she's soft and calming and chaotic and haphazard all at the same time.  Minako is brightly colored finger paints – bubbly and bright and seemingly childish, though there's much more to be found under the surface if someone is willing to take the time to look and see the true artwork that she is.  Rei is a bit different, because she's more like lights, the ones on a stereo or the media player on my computer – always in tune with and moving to the pulse around them, flaring red at the highest peaks and calming to blues and greens when everything is at peace."

            "Huh.  Okay, so what about me?" asked Makoto, giving Ami a teasing poke in the ribs.

            "You, Mako-chan, are like watercolors," said Ami through a joyful grin.  "Gentle and beautiful, the edges not always clearly defined, but always my favorite type of painting."

*            *            *

                        The elevator was going too slowly, and Rei was certain that if her father could have manipulated this as well, he would have.  He knew she was coming, that much was a given.  Walking into the hotel at an ungodly hour and very loudly demanding the Senator's room number hadn't gotten her very far.  Throwing her name around and threatening the livelihoods of anyone in her way had gotten a quick call up to the suite and an okay from their guest to allow his daughter up.  

            Rei tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the numbers rise on the floor indicator.  Finally, it stopped, the doors opening to her floor, and without hesitation, Rei made her way to the suite.  When her father opened the door to her wordlessly, she pushed past him and moved to the center of the room.  She stood with her arms crossed over her chest and stared at him until he closed the door and turned to face her.

            For just a moment, when he saw Rei standing there with the deep orange of the rising sun in the windows behind her, the Senator was struck with a profound sense of déjà vu.  But it had been a setting sun that day, and the woman who had stood before him had spoken in a tone of quiet finality.  Yet, even in silence, no part of his daughter was quiet.

            "I don't need to ask why you did this," said Rei, her voice hard as she glared at her father.  "I don't even need to ask if it's true, because I can see it in your eyes.  But how could you?  After all the times I defended you, and all the things I overlooked, how could you do this to me?"

            The Senator took a hesitant step towards her and said calmly, "You would have been better off if your friends hadn't told you about any of this, but I suppose that's a moot point.  I understand you're upset, Rei, and though our relationship was the primary factor in all of this, it was never meant to harm you personally or reflect my feelings towards you.  It was simply a matter of business.  You and your friend have suffered some embarrassment, I'm aware, but it will all blow over soon.  In the meantime," he went on, moving closer to her and tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'll make it up to you.  Whatever you want."

            "You have no idea, do you?" asked Rei harshly.  She shoved his hand off of her and moved several steps away.  "You bastard.  You don't even know what you've done to us.  Embarrassment we could have lived with, but Minako's parents didn't know, and you have no clue what they're like.  They hate the idea of us being together, and if we can't convince a total stranger in a court room that we're capable enough to live our own lives, her parents are going to send her as far away from me as they can get her.  She ran away from them for me.  She spent nights hiding from everyone, all for me.  She can't go home again, she can't even show her face in public, let alone go back to school.  And I don't even have a school to go back to.  Because of all this, they've expelled me.  So not only do I stand a very good chance of losing the one person in this world who means everything to me, I also have to face Grandpa with the shame of Mom's school hanging over me.  I can live with that, though, but not with losing Minako.  And if I do, you better hope like hell that your people are willing to die for you."

            Pure hatred flashed in Rei's eyes, and her father saw it clearly.  He swallowed down the sudden fear he felt rising, mentally chastising himself for being afraid of this girl.  Then, pulling up as much bravado as he could, the Senator stared down his daughter.  "I'm sorry for what's happened to you, but I am still your father.  I will not tolerate you making any kind of threats at me."

            A bitter laugh escaped Rei's lips.  "You aren't my father.  My father wouldn't have done something like this."  Then she paused, a sad frown replacing the scowl she wore.  Softly, she added, "My father didn't."

            A heavy silence hung between them for several moments, broken finally by Rei's voice.  "Don't ever come near me again," she said firmly.  "Don't try to call me, or follow me, or send me any more gifts with cards signed by your assistant.  I loved you, and for the life of me, I can't understand why.  Mom loved you, too, even in the end, and I'll never understand that either.  What I do know is the wrong person died in this story, and from now on, I'm going to live it as close to the way it should have gone as I can."  Pushing roughly passed her father, Rei walked towards the door and opened it without looking back.

            The door slammed hard behind Rei as she left her father standing alone in the middle of the room.  A minute later, Kimiko appeared in the bedroom doorway.  She leaned against the doorframe, hands in the pockets of her slacks, and smirked.  "Well, that could have gone better."

            The Senator shot her a harsh look in return.  "Shut up, Kimiko," he said as he walked over to the room's mini bar.  "I've had just about all I can stand of you and your 'I told you so's.'"

            As the Senator dropped two ice cubes into a glass and poured amber liquid over them, Kimiko stood straighter, her smirk disappearing.  "Do not talk to me like I'm Seki or some other lackey of yours.  I've got more than a decade of my life wrapped up in your career and just as much riding on you getting reelected as you do.  And just to reiterate, I did tell you something like this would happen, but you wouldn't listen because apparently I'm too 'out of touch' with today's voters.  It was your little lapdog, Seki, who thought this was brilliant and foolproof, so if you need to take it out on someone, take it out on him.  After all, he's the one who got caught by a bunch of kids."  She sighed, her gaze shifting to the closed door.  "You aren't going to be able to get her back this time."

            The Senator grimaced as he swallowed the last of the glass' contents.  "I gave up Rei a long time ago, when I lost her mother.  It's not my problem that it's taken her this long to realize it."  He set the glass down hard, the ice clinking against the sides as he did.  "And you do well to remember that you do work for me, just like Seki, no matter how much longer you may have been employed.  Speaking of him, do we have all of that worked out?  Just in case Rei or one of her friends decides to take this to the papers."

            Some of the edge Kimiko had been carrying abated as she switched to professional mode.  "There are a few points that I want you to go back over, just to make sure everything syncs up.  Seki's already in transit, so that's one major thing out of our way.  If it comes down to it, we'll hang him like we'd planned and keep him out of sight so no one can question him.  And the idiot gets an extended vacation, on us."

            A harsh bark of laughter escaped the Senator.  "Almost makes you wonder just who the real idiot is," he said wryly.  Then, "As soon as it's an appropriate hour, call the Ainos and tell them there's been a change in my schedule.  I want to meet with them tomorrow night instead of Friday.  Be as polite as possible, because I want to find out what's going on there without having to ask."

            "Right," answered Kimiko.  "Is that it?"

            "For now," answered the Senator.

            Kimiko nodded, then set about her routine, getting things organized and ready, leaving the Senator alone to his thoughts.  The Senator, for his part, poured himself another drink, heedless of the early hour and the protesting his stomach would likely do later.  Instead, he collapsed wearily onto the couch, idly wondering to himself just how loyal his people really were.

*            *            *

            In a close to panicked state, Minako finished describing Rei to the desk clerk.  She knew this was where Rei was most likely to come if she hadn't gotten here already.  Mentally, Minako berated herself once again for falling asleep and not even noticing when Rei left in what was practically the middle of the night.

            The desk clerk nodded.  "Yes, she was here.  You don't forget someone like that easily.  She left a short while ago after visiting with one of our guests."

            "Thank you," answered Minako.  She moved away from the desk and over to where Grandpa was waiting for her.  "He said she was here, but we missed her," she said, her voice worried.

            Grandpa reached for her hand and patted it gently.  "Try not to worry so much.  We'll find her," he said, though his own concern was plain to see.

            They were near the entrance, on their way out, when Yuichiro came rushing inside.  "I spotted her.  She's across the street by the bay," he said quickly.

            That was all Minako needed.  She broke away from them and hurried out of the hotel.

            Grandpa sighed quietly, feeling some relief.  "We should wait for them at the car," he said, to which Yuichiro nodded.

            Once she was across the street, Minako found Rei easily.  The miko stood with her arms crossed on the railing, staring out over the water.  Her hair blew gently away from her face as the breeze off the bay picked up a bit.  As she got closer, Minako noticed the shine on Rei's cheeks, a combination of mist and recent tears mixed together with tension and emotional exhaustion.

            Minako approached slowly and carefully laid a hand against Rei's back.  She stood beside Rei and waited for some response.  When she got none, she said quietly, "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you like that.  You know, it surprised me when I woke up and you weren't there.  And I think I may have scared Grandpa a bit when I told him I couldn't find you.  But we thought this was where you would be, so he and Yuichiro brought me to get you."  She hesitated, biting her lip nervously as Rei did nothing more than stare out across the water.  "I guess you saw him already," she went on cautiously.  "If you want to talk about it, or maybe there's something you might want to tell me…"

            Minako was cut short as Rei reached for her and pulled her in close, Minako's back to Rei's front.  Minako stood facing out where Rei had been staring with Rei's arms tight around her and pinning her own to her sides.  Then Rei's cheek brushed against her ear, and Minako felt the warmth and moisture there for just a second before Rei's chin rested on her shoulder.

            Managing to free one of her arms, Minako raised it so she could touch some part of Rei.  "It'll be all right, Rei," she said softly as her fingers brushed through dark hair.  "We'll make everything okay eventually.  But for now, we should go home."

            Rei's grip tightened for a moment in answer, and Minako nodded.

            "If that's what you want," replied the blonde.  "We have a few hours before we have to be anywhere."

            "I didn't forget about the lawyer," said Rei, her voice barely above a whisper.  "I would have been there for you.  I always will be."

            "I know," answered Minako, her free arm coming to rest over top of Rei's.  "I never doubted that.  I was just worried about you."

            "Where's Grandpa?" asked Rei.

            "I left him by the hotel," replied Minako, automatically trying to look over her shoulder.  "They might be waiting for us there.  Or maybe they went back to the car."

            Rei nodded against Minako's shoulder, then loosened her grip and moved Minako so they were standing eye to eye.  Rei brought her hand up and placed it lightly against Minako's cheek, then slowly let her thumb trace over Minako's lips.  Carefully, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Minako's forehead.  After several seconds, Rei pulled back and took Minako's hand in hers.

            Her voice sounded tired as Rei said, "I'm ready to go home, now."  Then she started forward, still holding on to Minako's hand, leaving the bay behind them.


	25. Starting Over pt 1

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while. 

**********************

Chapter 25:  Starting Over – pt 1

            The meeting had been thrown together hastily, but there had been no complaints from the Ainos when he'd requested the schedule change.  The Senator was glad for this and how accommodating they were attempting to be, especially given the circumstances that had brought them together.  As they sat, the wife moving to poor tea for the three of them, he made a point of telling them of his appreciation.

            "Not at all, Senator," replied Minako's mother as she put the teapot back on the tray and sat beside her husband on the couch.  "We understand the demands placed on your time.  We're just pleased you took the time to come and speak about this with us at all."

            "Particularly after the brief encounter I had with you father-in-law," added Minako's father.  "His lack of concern in all of this is troubling to me.  Even more so since I'm certain that's where Minako is at the moment."

            The Senator took a sip of his tea as they spoke to him.  Setting the cup down on its saucer, he nodded thoughtfully.  "I spoke with Rei yesterday, though it was more simply touching base than really talking.  She mentioned your daughter not coming home, but didn't elaborate, and I'm afraid I haven't spoken to her grandfather since all of this started.  There's some unpleasant tension between he and I, you understand, as a result of how my marriage ended.  We usually find it easiest to communicate through Rei."

            "I sympathize," said Minako's father.  "But, if you'll forgive my bluntness, you are your child's father, and you should be the one handling her in all of this.  I imagine this situation is even more troubling to you than it is to us.  Your father-in-law has obviously taken a come-what-may stance, and, just to give you an example of how out of control all of this has gotten," he went on as he stood and walked over to a small curio and opened one of its drawers.  He took out a folded set of papers he'd received early that morning and handed them to the Senator before sitting back down.

            Senator Hino looked carefully at the papers he held.  A court summons, obviously, the date to appear set as March 25th.  So this was what Rei had meant.  At that moment, he wasn't sure if he should be proud of her for her nerve or pity her for her foolishness.  The Senator refolded the papers and laid them on the table in front of him.  "I'm sorry," he said, sounding as apologetic as he could.  "I didn't realize things had gone this far."

            Minako's mother nodded, then said, "It's because we spoiled her.  She's always gotten her way until now.  Though I doubt this was all completely her idea."

            "Minako has never been what I would term a problem child," picked up her father.  "A bit flighty at times, perhaps, but she's considerably more intelligent than she has a tendency to appear.  In the past, the few times she's really wanted something, Minako has resorted to some very creative ways to get those things.  Until now, there's been no issue in letting her have her way.

            "I can't place all of the blame for this on Minako, either," he went on.  "She obviously has to take responsibility for her part, but we also have to for ours.  She knows this is a lifestyle we don't approve of or want her indulging in.  However, I feel we may have given her mixed messages by allowing her to socialize with certain groups of people.  It was foolish to believe she would only pick up the more desirable traits of those people and not be influenced by the rest of what they do."

            "You shouldn't judge yourselves harshly," said the Senator consolingly.  "Or Minako, either.  Teenagers are so easily influenced by what they see and hear, trying to figure out who they are and where they belong."

            "True enough," replied her mother.  "But she's had enough of her friends' influence to last us all several lifetimes.  From here on out, we'll be the ones helping her find the definition of who she is.  And that will start by getting her away from here and into a more proper and stable environment."

            "Once she's back home, we plan on sending Minako to boarding school," elaborated her father.  "Telling her when we did was a mistake, because I'm sure that's what prompted her to run away in the first place.  But we had hoped to give her a choice and keep her close to home.  After all of this, though, I don't see how that will be possible.  She did well when she was in England, and her English is more than passable, so we feel that's now the best solution for her."

            "Aino-san, forgive me, because I mean in no way to question your decision as a parent, but don't you think that's just a bit drastic?" asked the Senator.  "To send her so far away from you and her home could cause more problems than it will solve.  I speak with the experience of someone who has put such a distance between himself and his daughter, and I can say honestly that it is not an easy distance to bridge."

            "I'm aware she'll be angry with us," answered Minako's father.  "She already is.  But, in time, I think she'll come to understand we're doing what's best for her.  This way, Minako will have a chance to put this incident behind her, and the distance will force her to find a new path and start over.  If all goes well, she'll be able to attend University over there, as well, and when she comes home, we can all get on with our lives.  I'm not naive enough to believe it won't take time, but I won't lose my daughter to this."

            An hour later, after more conversation and a light meal, the Senator left the Ainos' apartment complex.  He nodded brusquely to his driver as the limo door was opened for him and slid tiredly inside.  Loosening his tie, he said to his assistant, "That was more annoying than I thought it would be.  Why in hell do I do these things?"

            Kimiko looked at him deadpan and answered, "Because you're a power hungry, self-centered egomaniac who needs to cover his ass."

            The Senator's hand paused on the top button of his shirt as he gave her a stony stare.

            With a shrug that said she couldn't care less, Kimiko returned, "I'm sorry.  I meant to say it's because you're a selfless individual who's trying to make the world a better place for your fellow man.  I keep getting those two mixed up."

            Ignoring her sarcasm, the Senator said, "When we get back to the hotel, you and I have some phone calls to make.  Rei and her girlfriend are grasping at straws trying to keep that girl from having to come back here, and I want to know who's holding them."

*            *            *

            "Getting back to normal," murmured Minako as she opened the bedroom door.  Her lawyer had told her that was what she needed to do, to establish a new routine that made them look as normal and responsible as the presiding judge was going to expect them to be and then some.  And part of that included going back to school.  So Minako had spent her evening keeping Makoto company and having her friend catch her up on all the things she'd need to know when she went back to school on Monday.

            But it wasn't really going back to normal, Minako continued to muse as she left her bag on the floor and went to look for Rei.  They couldn't go back, not with everything that had happened.  And while a routine had begun to set in, there was something just… _different about Rei.  Since that morning with her father earlier in the week, she had been too quiet, though none of that quiet had been peaceful.  There was hostility and anger in everything she did now, be it sweeping the paths hard enough to rub away the stone or the overly curt manner in which she'd taken to addressing everyone.  Yet, there had been no real, focused outbursts._

            Minako had an idea of where she would find Rei, so the first place she decided to check was the fire room.  When she got there, she saw Yuichiro standing outside, looking in through the partially opened doorway.  Pushing aside the bit of awkwardness she still felt around him, Minako went and stood beside him.

            Yuichiro looked down at Minako for a moment, then back at Rei as she sat in front of the fire.  "She always sits too close," he said quietly.  "She should at least tie her hair back so it doesn't get singed."  Then he turned back to Minako and offered a small, somewhat sad grin before leaving her alone.

            Several moments passed before Minako stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.  She walked up to Rei's side, her bare feet making no noise against the floor.  Slowly, she sat facing Rei.  To her right, the sacred fire raged, its flames licking out angrily, but never quite touching its mistress as the waves of heat washed over both of them.

            Rei's face was flushed and showing the effects of her time here.  Wisps of her hair floated loose and danced close to the promise of the fire.  Minako reached up and behind her head to undo the red ribbon that held her hair up.  She could tell Rei knew she was here, her concentration obviously not as focused as it normally was.  So Minako sat forward on her knees and carefully gathered Rei's hair, using the ribbon to tie it back in a ponytail.

            Several minutes passed with nothing but the crackle of the fire and the steady sound of Rei's breathing.  Then, gradually, the flame began to calm, and Rei opened her eyes.  Keeping her focus straight ahead rather then acknowledging Minako, Rei reached down beside her and lifted up a piece of paper.  She held the corner so the fancy stationary unfolded in front of her, the neat writing visible but unreadable in the flicker of the fire.  Minako watched silently, growing more and more worried, as Rei moved forward until the paper touched the fire, igniting and burning as Rei stared at it, expressionless.

            A frown of concern appeared on Minako's face as the paper burned quickly in Rei's grasp.  "Rei," she said cautiously as black ash fell at Rei's knees, the flame centimeters from where her fingers held the paper.  "Rei, drop it!" cried Minako as she quickly reached forward and forced Rei to let go just as the fire started to touch her fingers.  That was when she saw the almost empty shoebox that sat next to Rei and the small pile of dark ashes in front of her.  "Oh, Rei, you didn't," she whispered.

            "As far as I'm concerned, he's dead," said Rei, her voice hard.  "I'm only making it the way it should have been to begin with."  

            As if to confirm her words, the fire flared, giving off an extra blast of heat.  Rei took a deep breath as the warmth hit her, then pulled away from Minako and reached for the last photograph in the box.  She held up the picture of her parents embracing, her frown deepening as she did, and began to reach forward.

            "Stop, Rei," said Minako, her hands going back to Rei's and pulling it down.  Ignoring the glare this earned her, she went on, "You'll regret it later.  Please don't, because I don't want you hurt any more than you already are."

            Her jaw set, and her grip on the photo tightened, crushing the edge she held.  "How could she be so stupid?" asked Rei harshly.  "Did she really think he was capable of loving her at all?  Then she forced me into it, as if everything was just perfectly normal and okay.  Like he wasn't already on the edge of leaving us.  How could she be so stupid and blind?"

            Minako could see the glisten of tears in Rei's eyes, and she heard the real question in Rei's words.  Keeping her voice soft, she replied, "I don't think anyone is stupid for loving someone.  And we're never really blind when we do, because Love isn't blind, Rei, it's just willing to overlook a whole lot for the sake of that love.  That's why it hurts so much when we reach the limits of how much we can ignore.  Because we've seen everything with a crystal clarity that no one else has.  Your mother loved him because of all the good things loving him allowed her to see and in spite of all the bad things that didn't matter to her.  And because she was able to do that, I have you, so I can't judge her harshly at all."  Taking hold of the picture, Minako tugged lightly until Rei released it.  Then she set it off to the side, away from Rei's reach.

            Taking a shaky breath, Rei closed her eyes again.  For a moment, her features seemed to crumble, but then set again, refusing to show anything other than the anger she was carrying.

            Minako reached for her and tenderly pulled Rei against her until Rei's head rested against her shoulder.  She whispered softly to her until Rei began to relax, her hand moving in broad strokes against Rei's back.  When she felt the warm moisture from the silent tears that had begun to trail down Rei's cheeks, Minako swallowed down her own tears and held her, promising to be there for as long as Rei needed.

*            *            *

            It felt odd to Minako to be back in her classroom and acting as if it was just any old Monday morning.  On her left, Usagi was trying successfully to catch up on the sleep coming to school had deprived her of.  In the classroom, people were walking around, talking or desperately trying to get answers for the homework they hadn't finished.  A few people had stopped her and said hello or asked how she was doing as she came in , but aside from those acknowledgements, it was just another morning.  Except their group had been one person short.

            Rei had sat on the edge of their bed, watching as Minako dressed for school.  All the usual jokes she would have made about Rei leering were left aside because of the look in those violet eyes.  For Rei, this was just one more reminder or something she had lost, something that meant more to her than most people realized, and Minako felt almost guilty about leaving her behind.  But Rei had brushed it off, practically pushing Minako out the door and saying she had her own batch of school work to do, not to mention all the stuff at the shrine that needed to be done.  It was forced, Minako knew, and that last bit she'd seen of Rei made her want to pick up her things and go home before school had even started.

            "Hi, Minako.  Welcome back," said Yukari cheerfully as she took her seat in front of the blonde.  "We were starting to get worried about you."

            Minako grinned at the brunette and the girl who stood beside them.  Yukari was almost a better gossip than she herself was, and an easy person to make a friend of.  Aika was more reserved, but still easy going, and she ran the drama club with an unmatched efficiency.

            "Hi, guys," replied Minako.  "Didn't mean to worry anyone with that extended vacation I was forced to take."

            "How's everything going?" asked Aika as she leaned against the desk behind her.  "Are you doing okay with all this… stuff that's been going on?"

            "We're getting through it," answered Minako.

            Yukari grinned hugely.  "'We?'  So it's true, then?  You and that girl you're always with from TA?"

            Minako's cheeks reddened just a bit under Yukari's gleeful scrutiny.  She noticed Aika roll her eyes at Yukari's lack of subtle tact, her sandy-colored ponytail swaying as she shook her head in embarrassment.

            "Yes," answered Minako, a smile forming as she did.  "She's been my girlfriend for awhile now."

            "How long?" pressed Yukari, her dark eyes shining at the prospect of new information.  "Were you seeing her during the play?  She's the one who kept sending you all those roses, isn't she?  Oh, how terribly romantic, just like something out of a movie," she practically squealed.  "A secret love affair between best friends.  I knew it all along."

            "You did not," declared Aika at her friend's exaggerations.  "Over break when you saw her getting into that red sports car, you thought that was the guy she was seeing.  Then when you found out he was Tsukino-san's boyfriend, you were certain they were having some secret rendezvous."

            "You were secretly seeing my Mamo-chan?" asked Usagi suspiciously from beside them.

            Minako looked over to see Usagi with her head still down, but one eye opened to peer at them.  "No, Usagi, I swear," said Minako with a laugh.  "He's not really my type."

            "I don't know," returned Usagi as she sat up.  "Tall, dark, and really good-looking.  And Yukari did see you together."

            Aika laughed at that.  "Yukari also thinks she saw the Emperor's nephew's son drive up in a yellow corvette to pick up Hideo-sensei and take her out to dinner."

            "I do not," said Yukari, looking supremely insulted.  "It was a Porsche, not a Corvette.  Don't you ever listen when I talk to you?  Besides, everybody knows that's just a silly rumor because Hideo-sensei is really having an ultra secret, highly scandalous affair with Kume-sensei."

            Usagi stared at her classmate slack-jawed in shock.  Minako bit her lip, trying not to laugh outright, while Aika groaned.  "I can't take anymore of this right now," said Aika.  "I have to get to class.  Yukari, just no.  That's all I can say.  That, and I'll see you at lunch.  Minako, our last club meeting is Friday, and I'd like to see you there.  It's the last chance I'll have to talk to everyone together before graduation.  I want to be able to say goodbye to all my underlings properly," she teased.

            Minako promised to be there, then turned her attention back to Yukari and Usagi as the pre-homeroom gossip mill continued to turn.

*            *            *

            Minako stood inside the charm booth, leaning against the counter with her chin propped on her hand and a small charm dangling back and forth in front of her eyes.  She counted the number of times it swung until it slowed and stopped.  A quick puff of breath set it going again, and again she counted.  Bored to tears, Minako looked down at her watch.  Three minutes since the last time she'd looked.  But, on the plus side, in seven minutes she could close up, and, once Usagi got here, they could all leave for Makoto's.

            A distant rumble of thunder made her lean forward and out the window so she could look up.  The sky was grey, though not really dark, but the threat of a storm was keeping people home.  Without anyone around to try and make a sale to, this job was absolutely no fun for her at all.

            She pulled herself back inside and went back to playing with her charm until she saw Rei coming around from the other side of the building.  She stood up straight in her best employee stance, hiding the charm behind her back and smiling innocently.  But before Rei could say anything to her about playing with the merchandise, they heard their names being called as Usagi came rushing up the steps and over to them.

            "You're late," said Rei crossly as she set the box she was carrying on the ground under the window.

            Usagi, bent over and leaning against her knees trying to catch her breath, shook her head.  "Uh uh," she puffed out.  "I've got five minutes until you close."

            "You said you'd be here a half hour ago," retorted Rei.

            "I said that so I wouldn't be late," answered Usagi with a grin.  She straightened up and continued to explain, "See, this way, I knew I'd be on time for you closing so we wouldn't be late leaving.  But if I'd said I would be here when you were closing, we'd have been late getting to Mako-chan's."

            "That makes no sense, Usagi," returned Rei.  She reached for the broom that sat against the side of the building, intent on finishing up.  "Next time, just be on time and get here when you say you will."

            Usagi's grin wilted as Rei turned away from her.  It has seemed like such a good idea when she'd thought of it.

            "I think it makes perfect sense," said Minako as she came around from inside the booth.  She smiled at her friend.  "That was pretty smart thinking, Usagi."

            "Thanks," answered Usagi.  Then she brightened a bit.  "Are you ready to close up?  I can help."

            "All right.  I'll take these inside," said Minako as she began to gather the papers and trinkets from the display outside.  "Pull the screen closed for me so I can lock it.  Just try and keep it even when you pull it across.  It likes to stick."

            Usagi moved forward and reached inside the open window until her fingers found the screen.  She grasped the middle of the wooden edge and began to pull it slowly and carefully across its track.  She got it two thirds of the way over when sudden resistance made her freeze.  A small, concentrated frown appeared on her face right before Usagi gave the screen a quick, experimental tug.  Yep, it was definitely stuck.

            "Need help?" called Minako from around the corner of the small building.

            "No, I got it," called back Usagi.  She stood on tiptoe, reaching for the top corner that had jammed in the track.  Her fingers were just able to grasp it, but she couldn't get the leverage she needed to pull it free.  So Usagi hoisted one knee up onto the open part of the counter to gain height.  When she did, her free foot dangled for a moment before finding solidity on the box Rei had left sitting there.

            With one foot braced against the box and a knee against the counter, Usagi took hold of the top of the screen and pulled.  Once, twice, and nothing.  She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it in a huge puff and pulling with everything she had.

            The screen held firm, but Usagi didn't.  Her fingers slid along the smooth frame, her balance thrown off and backward.  For a moment she flailed, and all of her weight shifted onto the leg that rested against the cardboard box.  The box gave Usagi the purchase she needed to stay upright, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she regained her balance.  Relief that was short lived, however, as the corner of the box her weight still rested on shifted and collapsed.  The accompanying crunch and crush of breaking glass under her shoe was very loud and very noticeable.

            Usagi jumped back from the broken box, an apology on her lips.  The words died before ever being spoken, though, when she saw the look on Rei's face.  True anger painted Rei's features and turned her hold on the broom into a death grip as she stared at the blonde.

            "Damn it, Usagi, can't you do anything right!" snapped out Rei.  "She told you to be careful.  How hard is it to do what you're told?"

            Usagi began to stammer out an apology, but Minako stepped in and stopped her.  "It was an accident, Rei," said Minako calmly.  "She didn't mean to do it.  We can clean it up."

            "Don't make excuses for her!" shot back Rei furiously.  She threw the broom down to the ground, the wood hitting sharply, and stalked over to the window.  She climbed onto the counter and began hitting the jammed edge with the heel of her palm.  "Everyone's always making excuses for her.  When she breaks something, she should be held responsible.  But everyone says it's not her fault.  When she says she's going to show up and doesn't, everyone says that's just her and don't be upset about it.  She can't help it.  Just give her one more chance.  Well I'm sick of it, damn it!"

            Rei's hand rammed up hard against the screen's frame as that last sentence was expelled, but in the haze of her rage, her aim was off center.  Her hand grazed off the outside of the frame and pushed through the paper screening, breaking off several of the thin, wooden supports in the process.  The jagged edge of one broken support caught against her skin, tearing into the outside of her wrist as her hand moved forward.

            With a hiss, Rei jerked her hand back roughly and clutched it against her.  As blood stained the white sleeve of her dogi, Rei's eyes squeezed tight against the sting of the wound.  She slid off the counter, and the second her feet touched the ground, she felt a hand touch her shoulder.  Her eyes opened enough for her to see both Minako and Usagi standing beside her, mixed expressions of worry and comfort on their faces.

            Fighting hard against the tears that suddenly filled her eyes, Rei pushed both of them away.  "Leave me alone!" she yelled.  "Just leave me the hell alone!  I don't need you always trying to fix other people's mistakes!"

            Minako took a step back without meaning to, the venom in Rei's voice scaring her for a moment and leaving her unsure of what to do.  Usagi looked on the verge of tears herself, obviously wanting to resist Rei's refusal of help, but afraid of making things worse.  Then Minako noticed someone else had seen all of this, too, and he was coming closer, unafraid of Rei's wrath.

            Grandpa stepped up to them slowly.  Keeping his eyes on Rei, he addressed the other two.  "There's a first aid kit in the kitchen.  I'd like you two to go and get it, please."

            Minako nodded, then grabbed Usagi and hurried off.

            Touching Rei carefully, Grandpa tugged her down so she was sitting with her back against the wall of the charm booth.  "Here, now," he said gently as he knelt beside her.  "Let me see what's happened."

            Refusing to look at him, Rei reluctantly gave over her injured arm.  She winced as he pulled the sleeve back away from the cut, a few of her tears finally escaping.  She reached up and swiped harshly at her eyes just before she felt a hand begin to stroke her hair.

            "This hurts, I know," said Grandpa as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it carefully over the cut.  "A few tears are nothing to be ashamed of.  But it's not so bad that we can't get it all fixed up and better."

            "It's just a stupid cut," said Rei crossly through a sniffle.  "Stupid Usagi for causing so much trouble."

            "She's your friend.  She only wanted to help you."

            "I don't need that kind of help!" shot out Rei, her head snapping around to meet her grandfather's gaze.  Tears she couldn't control any more began to roll down her cheeks as she continued to lash out at the one trying to help her.  "I don't care what her intentions were, if she couldn't do it, she shouldn't have said she would.  All that happens when she does is things get broken and people get hurt.  And if she isn't going to show up when she says she is, then she shouldn't say she's coming at all.  Damn her!  Damn both of them!  They shouldn't make promises they aren't going to keep!"

            Rei's body began to tremble from the combination of anger and hurt, everything she'd kept pent up flowing out of her in a river of tears and harsh words.  She cursed her friends, her parents, and her own existence.  Then, when her grandfather reached for her, she clung to him, sobbing into his chest like a frightened child.  He rocked her and whispered to her, the way he had when she was little.  The same way he had his own daughter when her fate had finally overtaken her.  And, in the process, he wound up wiping away a few of his own tears, as well.

            After a time, Rei's cries quieted into a few unsteady hitches.  Her fingers loosened their grip on her grandfather's shirt, but didn't let go completely.

            Grandpa, sensing the worst of things had passed, patted Rei's back lightly and said, "How about we get that cut taken care of now, hmm?  Your friends left the first aid kit for us, down there on the step.  I just have to get up and get it."

            Rei nodded against him, then sat back so he could get up.  A moment later, he was back beside her, fussing over the shallow wound along her wrist.  When he finished taping off the bandage, he said, "That should do.  It's going to be sore for a few days, though."

            "I love you," replied Rei, that sounding more appropriate than a simple 'thank you.'

            Grandpa smiled at her and patted her cheek.  "My little Rei.  I love you, too.  I always have."  He closed up the first aid kit and stood.  "I believe your friends are over on the main steps.  That's the direction I saw them go off in.  If you still think you're going to go visit your other friends, the three of you shouldn't wait much longer.  I don't know how long this storm is going to hold itself off."

            "Okay," answered Rei.  As her grandfather headed for the main house, Rei stood a bit shakily.  She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and wiped her eyes against her sleeve.  In the back of her mind, she wondered if she looked as bad and worn out as she felt.

            A few minutes later, Rei found Usagi and Minako sitting several steps down at the entrance to the shrine.  When they heard her coming, both of them stood cautiously.  Minako walked up to her, with Usagi trailing close behind her.

            "You gonna be okay?" Minako asked worriedly.  Her hands moved nervously over Rei, tucking her dark hair behind her ears, then running over her shoulders and down her arms until she reached the bandage around Rei's wrist.

            Rei gave her a tight smile that she suspected wasn't as reassuring as she intended.  "I'll be okay," she answered, then held up her wrist and smirked.  "But I can't help wonder what people are going to think about this."

            "I'll get some regular Band-Aids tomorrow on the way home from school," said Minako.  "Then it'll be less noticeable."

            Rei nodded in thanks, then looked over at Usagi.  She moved in close, stood staring down at the nervous blonde, and then suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.  "You're such a silly klutz, and you have no sense of time whatsoever.  I'll never know how you got to be my best friend."

            Usagi smiled even though she could hardly breathe because of Rei's grip.  "And what about you, with that terrible temper?  I don't know how I've put up with a best friend like you for so long."

            The beginnings of a real smile on her lips, Rei looked over at Minako, then reached out and pulled her into the embrace.  She held on to her friends as tightly as she could, able to feel the love and caring they had directed at her.  The sense of that pulled at her heart, erasing some of the darkness that enveloped it, making the guilt just a little worse, but mostly making her feel secure and stable.  As they stood there, a few drops of rain falling and signaling the start of what would be a larger downpour, Rei thanked the higher powers for giving her these people so she would never be truly alone.

*            *            *

            Makoto lay propped up on the bed while Ami sat beside her, cross-legged and feeling around carefully on Makoto's exposed belly.  Ami was in doctor mode, and the complete concentration on her face as she tried to find the baby's back the way her mother had told her had Makoto grinning.  The stethoscope around Ami's neck only added to that image of future doctor, as well as to Makoto's amusement with the whole thing.

            Finding the spot she was searching for, Ami rubbed the end of the stethoscope to kill the chill, then put the other ends to her ears before placing the flat of it against Makoto's stomach.  A triumphant smile appeared on her face when she was rewarded with the sound of her son's heartbeat.

            It was a given that Makoto would eventually ask Ami to share, so while she waited her turn, Makoto fingered through the small paint cards that were scattered beside her.  They'd gone through all the ones they'd picked up at the store, and she'd narrowed it down to the few she liked best.  Now she just needed to make up her mind about which one was going to end up on the baby's bedroom walls.

            Picking up the two she, Ami, and Usagi had spent the most time staring at earlier, Makoto held them up for Ami to see.  Without any words being spoken, Ami immediately tapped the one with varying gradients of blue.

            Makoto smirked, then waved the yellow card.  "Usagi liked this one a lot," she said, her voice teasing.

            "Blue," was Ami's response right before she put her finger to her lips to shush Makoto.

            "But that's so predictable," went on Makoto, wanting to twick Ami just a bit and perhaps get some information out of her at the same time.  "Nobody would expect yellow from us.  And then, oh, I don't know, maybe we could go buy some stuff to match it.  Because, at the rate we're going, unless we empty out one of our sock drawers, Bug isn't going to have anyplace to sleep."

            Very slowly, Ami removed the stethoscope from her ears.  Looking pointedly at Makoto, she said, "Your son says to tell you he likes the blue best, and that whatever you choose for him to sleep on will be just fine, because he trusts your judgment."

            "Oh, really?"

            Ami nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

            With one edge of her mouth turned up and her eyes squinted appraisingly, Makoto said, "I know why you guys won't let me buy anything for the nursery.  You're planning someth…"

            One of Ami's fingers landed against Makoto's lips, effectively stopping her from saying any more.  "I told you to hush, or you won't be able to hear anything," she said quietly.  Then she took the stethoscope from around her neck and placed it on Makoto's.

            When Makoto was situated and quiet the way she wanted her, Ami moved the flat of the stethoscope back to Makoto's belly.  She watched happily as Makoto caught the first rapid thumps of the tiny heartbeat, closing her eyes to better listen.  She also saw the quick flash of relief that passed over Makoto's features as she heard the sound.  It was the same thing she herself always felt for that first second whenever she was given a tangible sign of the healthy and strong life that was growing there, right before joy and contentment would settle over her.

            Makoto opened her eyes a few minutes later and smiled at Ami.  She took the stethoscope from her ears and put it back around Ami's neck.  Settling back against her pillows, she picked back up on what she had been saying before Ami cut her off.  "Even if we don't go shopping on Sunday, I want to do something Rei likes.  The last two weeks, she's been… well, not her.  I've only seen her twice since all this stuff with her father started, and it feels like she's getting too closed off from us.  Especially after what Usagi said happened at the shrine tonight.  You know, I feel like I'm the one who started this whole mess.  Maybe I should go over there tomorrow, endless steps or not."

            Ami shook her head as she reached for the hem of Makoto's nightshirt.  As she pulled it back over her belly and smoothed it into place, she said, "No, I don't think that last part would be a very good idea.  Minako is with her, and, for now, I think she's the best one to handle things.  Rei is likely feeling somewhat embarrassed over the whole thing.  We should give her a day to gather herself together before forcing any of it back on her.  So, I think while the rest of you are redeeming yourselves academically on Saturday…"

            "One math test, genius girl," cut in Makoto.  "I only failed one math test."

            "Then, while you're making up that one math test," went on Ami, "I'll go spend the afternoon with Rei.  I can check on her, make sure she's ready for Monday's tests, and see if there's anything in particular she'd like to do Sunday.  Perhaps I can be the one to help her talk about things this time instead of the other way around."  Ami nodded, confirming for herself that this sounded like the best plan.  "It will take some time, but Rei will be okay.  We'll make sure.  No matter what might happen, we'll take care of her."

            Makoto smiled warmly and gave Ami's hip a little poke.  "Hey, you know what else Bug was saying?"

            "What?" asked Ami with a grin.

            "He was saying how much he loves you, and how glad he is that you're his Ami-mama," answered Makoto as her fingers played with the edge of Ami's pajama top.  Then her smile turned into a self-conscious grin.  "He was also saying that he's kinda hungry right now, and he'll love you heaps more if you'll take pity on his poor mama, who's finally managed to get comfortable after being achy and cranky all day, and maybe make us a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

             Ami giggled at that.  "More of my son's love.  That's such a hard offer to say no to."

            "Isn't it?" returned Makoto playfully.  "And his mama will be your best friend forever if you cut it into triangles and take off the crust.  And maybe throw in a glass of chocolate milk, too."

            "Okay," answered Ami as she started to rise from the bed.  "But only because my Little Bug asked me so nicely."

*            *            *

            Physics was an evil thing.  From the person who had postulated the first theory, right on down to the one who had set the type for the textbook she was now staring at, the subject was a wretched and evil thing.

            Rei closed her eyes and rubbed her hands into them.  Too much studying was making her vision blurry and her head hurt.  But she'd already missed three weeks of school, and with everything else that had been going on, studying for finals hadn't been one of her top priorities.  Making this round of studying even worse was that her entrance exams for 10th Street were also riding on her getting this damn chapter of her physics book right.

            "Maybe we should have actually studied while Ami was here," mumbled Rei sarcastically to herself.  She sighed and looked up, ready to voice her complaints to Minako, only to find herself still alone in the bedroom.  That just wasn't right, thought Rei as she glanced over at the clock.  Minako had excused herself to use that bathroom almost 45 minutes ago.  She shook her head as she stood, wondering how she had let that much time slip away from her.

            After slowly approaching the bathroom door, Rei knocked lightly.  Hesitantly, she called, "Mina, sweetie, are you okay?  You've been in there a long time.  Do you need me to get you anything?"

            Suddenly, the door opened just enough for Minako to stick her head out.  "Now that's love," she giggled.  "Don't worry.  I'm okay."

            Rei looked at her disapprovingly, then reached up to pull a shred of red construction paper from Minako's bangs.  "What are you doing in there?"

            "None of your business," answered Minako through her smile.  "I'm only in here because this is the one place a person can do anything privately around here.  Key word:  Privately.  Now, shoo, so I can finish up."

            Rei leaned forward and tried to see over Minako's shoulder into the room, but was blocked by the door nearly slamming against her nose.  With a huff, Rei said, "Fine, you can have your privacy.  I'm going to go call Ami."

            She had taken two steps when the door opened again.  "She's not home," said Minako as she stuck her head back out.  "She and Mako-chan have class tonight."

            "Ami doesn't have cram school on Saturday.  Besides, Mako-chan never goes to class with her.  Unless Ami's decided we aren't good enough babysitters," answered Rei with a smirk.

            "Not that kind of class.  It's a Lamaze class, so Mako-chan has to go with her or it would be kind of pointless."

            A slightly annoyed expression crossed Rei's face at that.  "Ami didn't say anything about that when she was here this afternoon.  How come you know about it and I don't?"

            Minako shrugged.  "She didn't really tell me about it.  She just mentioned it last week when Usagi asked what we were going to do to celebrate the last make-up Saturday of the year.  It's why we're doing stuff tomorrow instead of tonight."

            Rei frowned, looking thoughtful for a moment.  Then she turned and started walking away.

            "Hey, where are you going?" called Minako as she hurried after Rei.

            Rei didn't answer, instead just allowed Minako to follow her into the den.  There, Rei picked up the phone and dialed a number.  "Hello, Tsukino-san," she said pleasantly when the other end was answered.  "Is Usagi home?"  There was a pause as Rei waited, then, "Usagi, do you know anything about this class thingy Ami and Mako-chan are at tonight?"

            Minako grinned and moved closer to Rei so she could lean in and hear.  Rei tilted the receiver for her as Usagi answered, "A little.  Mako-chan told me about some of the stuff they do when I was over there Thursday night.  Sounded like it might be fun."

            "Do you know where it is?" asked Rei.

            "Yep.  The hospital at six o'clock."

            Rei looked down at her wristwatch, then nodded.  "Okay, we've still got time if we hurry."

            "Time for what?" asked Usagi curiously.

            "To get to class with them," answered Rei, as if that was the most obvious thing and why would anyone even need to ask.  "I'll get Yuichiro to drive.  He's faster than Grandpa.  Be ready when we get there, Usagi."

            The call concluded and Rei hung up.  She turned back only to see the silly grin on Minako's face.  Crossing her arms over her chest, Rei said, "Don't give me that look.  You're the one who's always saying he's 'our baby.'  And we're all going to be there when he's born, right, so we need to know what it is we're supposed to do."

            "Did I say anything?" asked Minako innocently.

            Rei gave her a quick, crooked grin and was starting on her way out when Grandpa walked into the room.

            "Excuse me," he said, perplexity on his face, "but do these belong to either of you?"  He held up a red, construction paper heart and a white crayon.

            Minako blushed and went over to him, claiming back the objects.  "Sorry, Grandpa.  I'll clean it up right away."

            Grandpa voiced his approval right before Rei said, "Five minutes, and then if you're not done, I'm leaving without you.  So you might want me to help."

            "I can get it on my own, Miss Nosey," threw back Minako.

            "You're going somewhere?" asked Grandpa.

            "To the hospital," answered Rei.  "I was just coming to tell you and then go find Yuichiro to take us."

            Grandpa looked suddenly concerned.  "Has something happened to one of your friends?  It's not Makoto is it?  I know it's too soon for the baby."

            "No," said Rei with a shake of her head.  "Everyone's okay."

            "We're going there to learn how to have a baby," explained Minako, her expression all smiles.

            Grandpa started to voice his relief that everyone was well, and then Minako's words really hit him.  He froze, all the color draining from his face.  For a moment, he stared at the bright smile on Minako's face and the smirk that was forming on Rei's.  Then he mumbled to himself about it all just being a phase and the kami's way of testing him, before slowly turning and leaving the room.

            Minako, more than a little confused, started to go after him to ask what was wrong.  Rei stopped her, though, and laughed the first real laugh Minako had heard from her in weeks.  "I'll explain it to you later," said Rei.  "Now go clean up."

*            *            *

            Usagi was ready and waiting when the car pulled up.  She hurried out to meet them, a small backpack over her shoulder and one of her mother's round throw pillows in her hand.  A smile on her face, she quickly slid into the back seat with Minako.

            "Hi, guys," she said as she arranged herself and her belongings.  "Thanks for picking me up, Yuichiro."

            Yuichiro smiled into the rearview mirror at her in acknowledgement, then started to pull away.

            "What's with the pillow?" asked Rei, fighting with the seatbelt as she turned around in her seat to face the girls in the back.

            "Mako-chan said they have to bring their own pillows to get comfortable with.  And, since they're not expecting us…" she drawled out, her grin getting bigger as she took the pillow and shoved it up under her shirt.  "So we look the part in case we have any trouble getting in."

            Minako giggled while Rei rolled her eyes.  "I'm almost afraid to ask what's in the backpack," quipped Rei.

            Usagi reached for her bag and started to rummage around inside it while she explained, "Well, like I said, they aren't expecting us, so I figured they probably won't have enough snacks for everyone.  I didn't want us to get left out."  As she said this, she began to hand items out to show what she had.  A can of orange soda, bag of grape gummies, and a box of Pocky were handed to Minako, and a can of cola along with a small, black snack bag were handed up to Rei.

            Rei held the bag in front of her and gave it a shake, causing the white puffs inside to jostle and resettle.  "Popcorn?  We're going to a baby class, Usagi, not a picnic."

            "I know that," answered Usagi.  "But Mako-chan said tonight was movie night."

*            *            *

            There were several people milling around the front lobby of the hospital.  Most sat in chairs, waiting or reading magazines.  A few were browsing the gift shop or snack area that was off on the side.  The woman who sat behind the large desk at the far end of the lobby easily ignored all of those others, however, and concentrated solely on the three girls who were standing near the entrance trying not to be conspicuous.

            Eri watched as the girls studied the directory on the wall beside the front door.  The blonde with the red bow, who reminded Eri of her own granddaughter, ran her finger down the list of offices, stopping about two thirds of the way down.  Having found her target, the blonde's finger gave a double tap against the glass.  Eri smiled to herself as the girls then turned her way, newly determined expressions on their faces.

            The girls made their way across the lobby and finally began to move past the desk towards the elevators, each of their steps deliberately casual.  They avoided looking her way or making any sort of direct eye contact, and, just to amuse herself, Eri let them get halfway by before stopping them.

            "Do you girls know where you're going?" asked Eri pleasantly, causing all three of them to stop mid step.

            The girls turned as one to face her, each affecting their own version of an innocent smile.  The brunette, who seemed to be their leader, was the one who addressed her.  

            "Yes, ma'am," answered Rei politely.  "We know which classroom we're looking for."

            Eri thought for a moment, recalling fairly clearly that the only class tonight was the childbirth class.  These three didn't really look like that was somewhere they belonged, but she'd seen stranger types at these sorts of things, Mizuno-sensei's daughter being the most unexpected in her recent memory.

            "All right," replied Eri, still a bit unsure, but with no real reason not to let them go.  "But watch out for the third floor.  Those classrooms are fairly well hidden from everything else.  So when you start to feel like you're lost, just keep going straight until you can't anymore.  That should at least find you a sign to follow."

            Rei smiled at the woman and thanked her, then hustled Usagi and Minako towards the elevators.

            After a brief ride, the elevator doors opened and left the girls at a small waiting area.  Swinging doors led to a hallway that broke off into three directions.  A sign on the wall pointed them to the right corridor, so right they went.  They passed the nurses' station and a string of rooms before reaching another set of doors and an overhead sign that instructed them to proceed forward.

            There was a different feel to the hallway behind the doors.  There were no rooms or windows, only white walls bordered in a dull green.  The lighting was subdued, leaving the corners of the hallway shadowed.  All signs of life had seemed to disappear at the doors, and, as they turned another corner, the only sounds they heard were those from the ventilation system.

            Usagi inched a bit closer to Minako as they traveled through the maze of corridors.  "Creepy," she whispered, though the word still sounded unusually loud because of the silence.  "Are we almost there?"

            "We have to be.  This place isn't that big," whispered back Rei.  A moment later, they came to another split, and around the corner, Rei literally saw the daylight at the end of the tunnel.  With a self-satisfied smile, she said, "See, just like I said."

            Finally entering a hallway with windows at each end to let in the sunlight, things seemed to come back to life.  Doors lined each side of the hall, each with a letter pasted on it.  Through a small window in the door, they could see a light on in one of the rooms.  The sound of people talking and moving things around filtered out into the hallway, as well.

            "Classroom B," said Minako as they approached the door.  "That's the one we want."

            Rei looked into the rectangular window on the door, searching for her quarry.  The class looked to be getting underway, with a dark-haired woman standing at the front happily addressing everyone, her hands doing half her talking for her.

            "There they are," announced Rei when she spotted Ami and Makoto.

            "Are you sure?" asked Minako as she squeezed in beside Rei so she could see.

            Rei frowned at her in annoyance.  "Of course I'm sure.  Would I have said it if I wasn't?  They're right there, plain as day."

            "I want to see, too," chimed in Usagi as she pushed in close and stood on her toes to see over the other girls' shoulders.

            Most of Usagi's weight went forward onto Minako, but enough hit Rei to knock her to the side and off balance.  The hand she had resting on the doorknob gripped tight out of reflex to keep her upright, her sudden sideward motion turning it just enough to release the catch.  With all three of them leaning against it, the door swung open hard, effectively removing the only thing keeping them on their feet.  As the door slammed against the wall, all three girls tumbled into an undignified heap on the floor.

            Minako let out a startled gasp, and Usagi yelped as she landed on her friends.  Rei winced as she hit the cold floor, some part of the other two on top of her.  She heard a few gasps from their audience as well as Minako, and a few chairs scraping across the floor as she presumed people were standing in sudden shock from their entrance.  One of her eyes opened just enough to see the startled looks of a roomful of strangers.  Then her sight landed on the two who weren't strangers.  Ami was staring at them, her face bright red.  Makoto had a hand covering her eyes, her head shaking slightly in denial, as if that would somehow make it all go away.  Rei thought that sounded like a good idea, and closed her eye again to see if it would work.  Then Rei heard voices, one of them actually claiming them as friends.

            "They're our friends," answered Ami when the woman in charge questioned who they were.  "I do apologize for the disturbance, Himura-san."

            "You guys okay?" asked Makoto from overtop of them.

            "That pillow didn't help at all," complained Usagi as she was helped to her feet by one of the kinder bystanders.  "I think I broke my Pocky."

            A round of snickers could be heard then, and Rei sighed, internally refusing to move.  Maybe if she willed it hard enough, she could disappear into the floor.  Then Minako's weight was lifted off of her, and she could sense someone kneeling down in front of her.

            "Rei?" asked Ami.  "Can you get up?"

            Rei opened her eyes and looked up at her friend.  "I don't suppose you have some nifty, magical item hidden away that comes with a rewind button for these sorts of things?"

            Ami smiled in gentle amusement and held out a hand.  "It's really not that bad.  Well, perhaps it is," she reconsidered.  "But you have the honor of being the one to make the night that much more interesting."

            "I'd rather be dull and boring," said Rei as she was pulled to her feet.

            "What are you guys doing here?" asked Makoto as she brushed off Minako's shirt.

            "We need to know what to do, too," answered Minako.  "So Rei said we should come to class with you."

            "We brought our own snacks," added Usagi, holding up her backpack.  "Though they might be a little crushed."

            "Your support system, Kino-san?" asked Himura-san as she walked up to them.

            "Yes, ma'am."

            Himura-san smiled at them.  "Well, I think we have enough room if they'd like to stay.  Grab a few chairs and we'll get back to business.  All right, everyone," she continued, addressing the whole class, "as soon as everyone's settled, we'll start the video."

            Usagi seated herself happily between Makoto and Minako and quickly began setting out the goodies she'd brought with her.

            Makoto, a slightly confused look on her face, leaned over and whispered, "You really brought food with you?"

            Usagi nodded.  "Sure.  What fun is a movie without any snacks?"

            "Uh, Usagi, I really don't think this is the kind of movie you're going to want to eat through."

            The question on Usagi's face was blacked out as the lights were turned off and the TV flickered to life in all its uncensored glory.

*            *            *

            She knew how things worked.  She wasn't that naive or even that innocent.  But knowing it in an abstract way was very different than having it openly presented to you in full visual detail.  Usagi shuddered as those details flashed before her mind's eye for the umpteenth time since they'd left the hospital.  Then Rei's hand was suddenly waving in front of her unfocused eyes, and Usagi looked up from the bus stop bench she and Makoto were sitting on.

            "Quick, Usagi," said Rei, much more amused than Usagi liked.  "What's short, pink, and really likes to annoy you?"

            Usagi's eyebrows knit together in confusion.  "Chibi-usa?" she asked.

            Rei laughed, and standing beside her, Minako smiled widely.  "Well," said Rei, "if we can all remember the kid, she must not have been traumatized too badly."

            Usagi stuck her tongue out at Rei and ignored the humor everyone seemed to find in all of this.  Then she turned to Makoto.  "Are you really going to do it like that, Mako-chan, with no drugs at all?  Because that looked like it would _really hurt."_

            Makoto nodded quickly, a confident smile on her face.  "Yep, that's how we're going to do it.  I've battled every kind of youma the universe could throw at us.  I've had my heart ripped from my chest, my dreams physically violated, and I've died _twice.  After all of that, I can handle anything, including giving birth."_

            Recalling what had been said during class and how important she'd been told her roll as part of the support system was, Usagi answered, "If that's your decision, then I support you completely and will offer all the loving encouragement you need.  But I still think you're crazy."  Then she looked up at Ami.  "When I have to do that, I want to be unconscious."

            Ami grinned and held back a giggle.  "I promise I'll remember that, Usagi."

            Things got quiet for a few minutes while they all waited for the bus.  Feeling a bit impatient and antsy, Rei stretched her arms up over her head and blew a puff of breath through her lips.  "So, we're all just going to go home now, huh?"

            Makoto glanced quickly up at Ami, then took advantage of the opportunity Rei's mood presented.  "Actually, me and Ami have made a sort of habit of stopping for dessert on the way home.  We were just going to go to a place by the apartment and get something to take home, but if you guys want, we could all go get something together."

            "There's a good place about a block from here," chimed in Ami.  "It would likely be less crowded than the Crown tonight."

            "I wouldn't mind missing the Hell Week crowd," replied Rei.  "How about it, Minako?  Mind if we stay out for awhile?"

            Minako smile and shrugged.  "Sounds like a good idea to me."

            Unanimously decided, the girls left the bus stop and made the short trek to the ice cream place.  With the night pleasant as it was, they decided to find seats outside.  So while Makoto and Usagi saved spots at two small tables, the other three went inside to place the order.

            "And could you put a few extra cherries on the chocolate one?" asked Rei as the girl who was fixing their order topped off Makoto's milkshake with a hill of whipped cream.

            The girl nodded, and both Ami and Minako grinned at Rei.

            Rei sighed, disliking being so obvious in her actions.  "I snapped at Usagi pretty badly the other day," she said quietly.  "I need to make it up to her a little, even if it was partly her own fault for being so klutzy."

            Minako leaned in discretely against Rei's side.  "I think it's sweet," she said, her voice low.  If there hadn't been a small crowd, she would have kissed Rei's cheek.  She was still very tempted to, just to see what would happen.

            That train of thought was interrupted as the girl behind the counter set the last of the milkshakes in front of them.  "Okay," she said as she wiped her hands on her red and white striped shirt.  "That's one strawberry, one chocolate peanut butter, one chocolate with extra cherries, a cookies and cream mixer, and a root beer float.  The fries will be a few more minutes.  Is there anything else I can get for you?"

            "That's it, thanks," answered Rei.

            Minako reached for the milkshakes and set them on a tray with some straws and napkins.  "I'll take these outside if you guys want to wait for the rest of it.  But someone's gonna have to get the door for me."

            "I'll get it," said Ami.  She took a quick sip of her float, then slid off her stool to help Minako.

            As Rei watched them, she noticed something from the corner of her eye.  Over at one of the booths, a group of boys sat, most of them talking animatedly.  One, however, was distracted, his eyes following Ami and Minako as they walked towards the door.  Not liking the idea that some guy was staring at her Minako was beside the point, because he very easily could have been staring at Ami.  Her dislike was mainly in the way he was staring.  The look on his face wasn't the look of someone sizing up a potential date.  It was more serious, more focused.  Then he abruptly turned away, back to his friends.  It was because Ami had started walking back, Rei realized.  He didn't want her to notice him.

            Ami slid quietly back onto the stool beside Rei and began poking at the ice cream in her root beer with the long, plastic spoon she'd been provided with.  A few minutes had passed with very little talking when Rei noticed those eyes again.  She could practically feel them staring holes right into their backs.  Ami must have noticed it, too, because she was getting progressively more tense.  Finally, Rei just couldn't take it anymore.

            "What the hell is your problem?!" she snapped at the boy as she turned around.

            The boy jumped, startled by her outburst, and stared at her like a deer caught in headlights.  One of his friends turned and looked like he was about to say something back, but quickly changed his mind and tried instead to refocus his friend on their own conversation.

            Heedless of the looks she was getting from a few bystanders, Rei started to say something else just to let him know how much she was annoyed by him.  It was Ami's hand landing lightly on her arm that stopped her.

            "Please, Rei," said Ami softly without turning around in her seat.  "Just let him go.  It's not a big deal.  He just does that sometimes."

            Rei looked at her in disbelief.  "You know him?"

            Ami nodded.

            "What is he?  Some kind of weird stalker?  Because something like that is a big deal."  Ami looked as though she wasn't going to answer, so Rei pushed forward.  "Come on, Ami.  I spilled my guts to you this morning.  That means you're not allowed to clam up on me now."

            "That's him," answered Ami, her voice barely above a whisper.

            Rei didn't need to ask what that meant, she could see it in Ami's eyes.  Curiosity prompted her to really look this boy over and wonder what it was Makoto had seen in him.  Short hair with dark eyes to match.  Cute enough, but not something you'd see on a boy band poster, this Satoshi was plain, simple, and seemingly unassuming.  Perhaps that in itself had been the appeal, Rei mused.

            She turned back in her seat and focused on Ami.  "Look, I understand not wanting to start anything here, but if he's been bothering you, you need to say something to someone."

            Ami concentrated intently on her float as she answered, "It isn't like that.  He doesn't do anything, and he never speaks to me.  But sometimes, he stares.  As soon as he realizes I've noticed, he stops.  I don't know why he does it.  I just think he wishes I would disappear as much as I wish he would.  That way, we could both forget."

            Rei fidget in her seat, the let out a frustrated sigh.  "There's got to be something you can do about him.  You don't need to be dealing with this."

            Ami shook her head.  "I already requested a class transfer for next term," she admitted.  "I couldn't tell them precisely why, and Itoh-san thought it was because I was feeling burned out and overwhelmed.  He said they could help me with that, but he couldn't, in good conscience, put me in another class.  He felt it would be a step backward academically, especially since our class is the only one running the advanced sciences program."

            "You should have told him the truth," insisted Rei.

            "No," replied Ami.  "Don't you understand?  If I'd even hinted that a male student was making me uncomfortable, they would have been obligated to investigate.  Questions would have been asked that none of us want to answer.  Mako-chan is finally comfortable with the idea of people knowing about our life.  But even that has its limits, and I don't want to do anything that will disturb that or put any more stress on her than there already is.  Besides, you know what she would do to him if I told her any of this."

            Rei reluctantly agreed with that last statement.  She also agreed just as reluctantly not to say anything to anyone.

            "Thank you," said Ami.  "I can deal with it, Rei, I promise.  I've never liked being around him, you know that, but it won't be for much longer.  And then I really will be rid of him forever."


	26. Starting Over pt 2

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

There's nothing like being able to plug a friend.  One of mine, Sailor Doc, wrote a really nice companion story to Fate titled 'Nocturne.'  It's set near Makoto's due date and would fit in really well between the end of this chapter and the middle of the next.  You can find it at shoujoai.com in the SailorMoon fanfic section.

**********************

Chapter 26:  Starting Over – pt 2

            She could hear noise inside the room, but for the life of her couldn't figure out what was going on to make those sounds.  Crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot impatiently against the porch, Rei glared at the red ribbon tied across the doorframe and the little Do Not Enter sign that hung from it.

            As if the sight of her fearsome gaze could actually have some effect on the door, it seemed to tremble just slightly before sliding open a crack.  Minako peeked out, and when she spoke, Rei could hear the smile even though she couldn't see it.

            "Oh, good, you're still here," said the blonde happily.

            "Of course I'm still here," answered Rei.  "Where else would I be?"

            "Well, right now you could be going to get washed up and dressed.  Here, wear this," said Minako as she thrust a black dress, the one Rei had worn on Valentine's Day, out the door.  "But don't take too long, because I'm almost done.  And stay somewhere away from the door.  I don't want you to see before I'm ready for you to."

            Rei chuckled and shook her head as the door was once again closed to her.  Minako had been at this for the last several hours after barring Rei from the room early in the afternoon.  Since then, Rei had watched the blonde periodically emerge to collect this or that from some other part of the house, but any questions she'd tried to ask or all the looks she'd thrown Minako's way were teasingly ignored.  That was okay, though, because it was all part of the game Minako was playing, and it was making her happy.  She deserved to make herself as happy as she could right now, because if things didn't go well at the hearing on Tuesday, this would be the last chance for them together like this for a long time.

            Rei quickly clamped down on those thoughts and pushed them away.  Minako had already decided what the mood was going to be, and that's what Rei was going to stick to.

            All dolled up and redressed for the evening, Rei had only been waiting a few minutes when Minako came to get her.  The blonde was smiling and almost giddy in her excitement of finally being able to reveal what it was she'd been working on.  

            Taking Rei's hand in hers, Minako led them back to the room.  She stopped at the door and turned to face Rei.  "Close your eyes, please."

            Rei complied, and, when she did, she heard the door slide open.  Then Minako's hands once again took hers and led her carefully into the room.

            "Okay, open them," commanded Minako as she released her hold.

            Rei opened her eyes and smiled hugely at what greeted her.  Everywhere around her were hearts of all different sizes and colors.  Small, fluffy ones were thrown on the bed overtop a quilt embroidered with them.  Along the perimeter of the room hung strings of heart shaped lights tangled with little white lights.  A red scarf had been draped over the lamp shade, subduing its light and giving better attention to the novelty lights and candles set about the room.  Pink, white, and red construction paper hearts were taped to the walls, along with a few store bought ones that declared 'Happy Valentine's Day.'  Flying among all those hearts were a few cupids and white doves.  And on the table in the center of the room, a heart shaped candle glowed beside a vase of dark red roses and a decorated gift box.

            "Wow, Mina," she finally managed to get out around the laughter she was biting back.  "Happy Valentine's Day?"

            Minako nodded.  "Happy Valentine's Day, part two.  Because the first part didn't end to my satisfaction."

            "You seemed pretty satisfied to me," smirked Rei.

            "Rei!" shot back Minako, appearing as scandalized as she could.  "I'll have none of that, young lady.  At least, not just yet.  Now come open your present."

            With that, Rei was pulled over to the table and made to sit in place before her gift.  The box was red with tiny white hearts stamped all over it.  It was held together by a large white ribbon surrounded by a cluster of smaller, curlier red ones, off of which hung a tag with Rei's name on it.

            Rei carefully untied the bow as Minako sat beside her and watched.  When she lifted the lid, her smile grew wider.  Lying inside the box was a homemade book, the words 'Once Upon a Time…' written in white crayon across the red paper cover.  Under the title was a picture of the two of them framed in bright colors, glittery stickers, and ribbon.

            "Hurry and take it out," urged Minako since Rei was taking too long for her liking.  "I want to read you the story."

            Even more carefully and slowly than before, Rei lifted the book from its box and set it on the table between herself and Minako.  Minako reached for it then, and turned to the first page.

            "Once upon a time," she began as a hand drawn picture of a blonde with a red bow in her hair was revealed, her hand held in a V sign, "there lived a very pretty, popular, and talented young girl."

            The page was turned, and on the next one was another drawing of the girl, except this time she was flanked in the upper left by a trio of schoolgirls.  Down on the right was a passable Artemis, an old version of their henshin pens, and a red mask.

            "The girl was happy with her life," went on Minako.  "She had her friends and her family.  She wasn't really great at school, but she did well enough.  She dreamed of becoming an actress and a model and a singer – the perfect idol.  And that dream made her happy, because she believed in it.  But there was something missing.  Some little thing that she couldn't quite put her finger on.  Then, one day, the girl met a very strange white cat."

            Minako turned to the next set of pages.  This time, the cartoony drawings were on both sides of the paper.  On one page, Sailor V smiled with Artemis beside her.  On the opposite side, V fought a purple blob with green spots and yellow horns.

            "The cat spoke to the girl, which was an odd thing in and of itself," continued Minako.  "The girl, being the brave soul that she was, didn't run away, but squealed in delight.  'You're so cute!  Are you some kind of alien?' she asked.  The cat, who's name was Artemis, was a bit confused, as this was not the response he'd been expecting.  But he pulled himself together, and, rather than just admitting he _was some kind of alien, went on to tell the girl a grand tale about a lost moon kingdom and the search for that kingdom's princess.  And while the girl had never seen a talking cat before, or heard of such a story, it was all somehow very familiar to her.  So she did as the cat asked and became Sailor V.  But there was still something missing._

            "Time passed and battles were fought.  The girl began to realize what it was she was missing.  Even with Artemis there beside her, she felt very alone.  Sometimes, the battles would be hard or scary, but the girl went on, because she believed in what she was doing.  She also believed the cat, who had become her dearest and closest companion, when he told her they would find the others soon, and that someday she would also find her One, even with her duty before her.  So the girl kept going."

            Rei raised her hand up and gently cupped Minako's cheek.  "I'm glad you kept going," she said softly.

            Minako smiled at her, then turned the page.  "We're getting close to the good part, so pay attention, okay?"

            Rei nodded and refocused on the drawing in front of her.  This time she saw a group of four stick figures, each identified easily by the color of their triangular fuku skirts.  Up above the figures, seeming to float in midair, was a Sailor V sticker haloed in crayon yellow light.

            "The day finally came when the girl got to meet her fellow Senshi," picked up Minako, her voice more joyful than a moment ago.  "Though it took some time, those four became her truest friends.  The girl was very thankful to have them, because she wasn't alone anymore.  But still, there was that one little missing something.  The girl had almost given up hope that she would ever find that missing piece.  And then, one day…"

            Rei grinned when she saw the drawing on the next page.  It was obviously her, dressed in her dogi and hakima, a broom in one hand and bouquet of flowers in the other.

            Minako smiled at her rendering of Rei and went on, "One day, one of her very dearest friends handed her a flower and asked her out on a date.  The friend didn't know how much the girl wanted just that, but she did know how much the girl wanted someone to love and to love her back.  The friend, who became the girl's beloved Rei-chan, loved the girl with everything she had and allowed her into places of her soul that no one had ever seen before.  The girl was able to do the same for her beloved Rei-chan, and when she did, that hole where something had always been missing was filled with more love than she had ever known.  The girl thought she had everything she could possibly want.  But then, her beloved Rei-chan went and surprised her."

            Minako reached for the glass of water that sat on the table and took a sip before going forward.  When she was ready, she carefully flipped the page.  In the center of the paper was a big heart with the word 'Home' written across it.  "Her beloved Rei-chan said just one word to her," said Minako, her voice heavy with the emotion this memory held for her.  "Everything in her life before that moment paled in comparison to the gift of that word.  Because, from there on, the girl knew no matter what happened to them, or how far or how long she might have to go away from her Rei-chan, she would always be there waiting for her."

            Rei reached forward and took Minako's hand.  She twined their fingers, the candle's light reflecting off the gold ring around Minako's finger.  "I would wait an eternity if I had to.  But I don't have to, Mina.  We won't have to," she said quietly.

            "The story's not done yet," answered Minako softly.  "Let me keep going."

            Rei acquiesced and turned back to her gift.  "What the…?  Mina?" she questioned when she saw the image on the next page.

            A devilish smile appeared on Minako's lips.  "But there was another side to the girl's beloved Rei-chan.  And that was the evil and dastardly Rei-chan," said Minako with dramatic flare as she waved a hand over the picture of a Rei with devil horns, fire surrounding her as a backdrop and lighting up her eyes.  There was even a red spiked tail curving around her from behind.

            Rolling right over Rei's indignation, Minako continued, "The evil Rei-chan thought she could be all sneaky and one-up the lovely and innocent Mina-chan, who also just happened to be the Senshi of Love.  And when evil Rei-chan executed her plan and managed to surprise Mina-chan, well, Rei-chan became quiet full of herself.  Even though the lovely Mina-chan loves and adores all aspects of her Rei-chan, and loved her more than anything for that surprise, she just couldn't let this go unchallenged.  What kind of Senshi of Love would she be if she did?  So, Mina-chan decided to get even.  Turn the page Rei," she said quickly, her excitement showing in the slight bounce of her movements.

            Her curiosity piqued, Rei turned to the last page in the book.  Her eyes widened and got just a bit misty when she saw the familiar heart with 'Home' in its center.  But unlike the previous one, this heart had a gold ring tied to it by a thin red ribbon.  Over top of the heart, 'Forever' was written in a fancy script to match the engraving on the inside of the band.

            Reaching around Rei, Minako untied the ribbon to release the ring.  She held it in one hand and took Rei's with her other.  Clearly and quietly, she said, "Mina-chan wanted to give her beloved Rei-chan something solid, something real, that she could look at and touch whenever they were apart, so she would also know how much she's loved and cherished.  I wanted you to have something that will always let you know that you are my forever."  Then, taking a great deal of care, she slid the ring onto Rei's finger.  Once it was in place, she moved forward and captured Rei's lips in a warm promise.

            The kiss ended and Rei pulled Minako against her in a tight hug.  "I love you," she whispered into Minako's hair.

            "Mina-chan loves her evil and dastardly Rei-chan, too," giggled Minako.

            Rei grinned.  "Evil and dastardly, is it?"

            "Mmm hmm.  Just the way I like her."

            With a chuckle, Rei asked, "So, is that the way the story ends?  Happily Ever After?"

            "No," answered Minako as she settled into Rei's arms.  "Happily Ever After, yes.  But the story never ends, Rei.  We never end."

*            *            *

            Usagi sat in front of her bedroom mirror and fidgeted with the items in front of her.  She wasn't even used to being up and ready on time.  She had no clue what to do with herself when she was ready early.

            As she switched the positions of her brush and powder box one more time, Usagi caught sight of Luna's twitching tail in the corner of the mirror.  Turning in her seat to face the cat, who was lying on the bed, Usagi asked, "What am I supposed to say to her?  I mean, I don't need to know what to say if she loses.  I'll be too busy crying to say anything.  But what am I supposed to say if she wins?  This isn't a happy thing no matter what, Luna, and I don't know what I'm supposed to say."

            Luna raised her head from her paws and, for a moment, studied the girl in front of her.  This was Usagi's strong point, she thought, and there was no better answer she could give than the one Usagi would ultimately come up with herself.  "You'll know what to say when the time comes, Usagi.  And I believe you'll say just the right thing."

            "Thanks, Luna," answered Usagi with a small smile.  Then she turned back to her mirror.  "I hope Mom will be ready soon.  I don't want to be late picking up Mako-chan and Ami.  Maybe I should hurry her up?"

            Luna smiled at that.  Rather than let Usagi see, she stood and stretched, thinking perhaps it was time she headed on her way.  "Your mother will be ready on time, Usagi," she said as she jumped off the bed and went over to the open window.  "Just try to be a bit more patient.  Since you can't take me with you, there's something I need to do.  I should be back later tonight, but if not, don't be concerned."

            "Where are you going?" asked Usagi as she watched Luna's reflection.

            "We all have our place today," answered Luna.  "And I'm not the only one who can't go with you."

            Usagi nodded as understanding dawned.  "All right.  I'll see you later, then."

            Luna nodded, then left through the window.  Usagi went back to distracting herself by playing with the things on her vanity and lamenting about how wrong it was to be up so early during spring break.

            Minako sat quietly on the edge of the porch, Artemis curled up in her lap.  The morning was warmer than she'd expected it to be.  More normal feeling, also.  Perhaps the calm was artificial, or just some instinctive coping mechanism her brain knew she needed to survive the day.  Regardless, here she sat, dressed exactly the way she'd been instructed to dress, running through the lines she'd been instructed to say, exactly the way she'd been instructed to say them, all while slowly stroking Artemis' fur.

            He was lying so perfectly still, thought Minako, even though she knew he was awake.  She wondered how long he could stay like this, because he'd have to be exceptionally quiet and still if she was going to hide him in a dorm room.  Particularly if she wound up with a roommate…

            Minako's hand stilled on Artemis' back as her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath.  She swallowed hard a few times, refusing to let anything happen that would ruin her makeup, because there wouldn't be time to fix it, and they couldn't be late.  Then she felt Artemis' head butt gently against her shoulder.

            Opening her eyes, Minako found herself staring into worried blue ones.  Artemis tried to give her a grin, but couldn't quite make it.  So he brought his paws up onto her shoulder and tucked his head into the crook of her neck.

            Minako put her arms around him a bit more tightly than she probably should have.  He didn't make any sort of complaint, however, and Minako was grateful for that, because she could feel the first threads of that early morning calmness starting to come undone.

            Light footsteps made Minako loosen her grip on the white cat.  She looked up and saw Rei standing there.

            "Sorry if I'm interrupting," said Rei apologetically.  "But we need to get going.  Grandpa's waiting by the car."

            Minako nodded and gently set Artemis off to her side.

            As she stood, Artemis said, "I'll see you when you get back."

            The blonde smiled at him and reached to give his ears a quick scratch.  "When I get back this afternoon," she said softly before turning to leave with Rei.

            When the girls were out of sight, Artemis laid back down in the sun filled spot he'd been sitting in with Minako.  His eyes closed as if he was resting, but his tail continued to lash uneasily from side to side.

            "Artemis?"

            At his name being quietly spoken, the cat stilled his tail and opened his eyes.

            Luna jumped up on the porch beside him and found her own spot in the sun.  "I thought you might like some company while you wait.  And Usagi was too restless for me to keep watching.  All the tossing and turning she did last night was bad enough."

            "They did the same thing," replied Artemis.  "I don't think either of them slept at all."

            The two of them talked for a while, about little things that didn't really matter rather than the things they were really thinking about.  Those things could be said later if it really became necessary, though.  For right now, this was enough to get them through the uncertainty of the morning.

            Inside the courthouse corridor, Usagi was pacing back and forth in front of her.  Beside her on the wooden bench, Makoto was rapidly tapping her foot.  Ami took a deep breath and tried to maintain her sanity as the three of them waited for Minako and Rei.

            "There they are," said Usagi suddenly as her movement stopped.

            Ami looked over and saw Rei and Minako approaching with Grandpa and a woman who must be their lawyer.  Ami stood and offered a hand to Makoto to help her do the same.

            Greetings were made, and when Minako's lawyer addressed Makoto, it was with a bit of a startled pause.

            Makoto smiled at the woman.  "No one told you, did they?"

            Aya grinned a bit self-consciously.  "I apologize, Kino-san.  I was made aware, it's just a bit surprising to see it in person.  You've been well, though, I hear."

            "Very well, thank you," answered Makoto.  "And thank you for helping my friends."

            "Don't thank me just yet," answered Aya.  "We've still got an uphill battle in front of us.  But we're going to do all we can."  She looked around at the faces surrounding her, and suddenly felt better about their odds.  There was no logic to the feeling, but it was welcome just the same.  She turned to Rei.  "Because she's a minor, it's a closed court.  Only immediate family is allowed in, so you and your friends will have to wait out here.  We'll be calling your grandfather just to confirm she's employed and has a place to live.  Beyond that, everything rests on Minako and her parents."  Then she addressed Minako with a confident smile.  "Ready?"

            Minako squared her shoulders and looked the woman in the eye when she spoke.  "Yes.  As I'll ever be."

            "All right, then," returned Aya.  "Let's go."

            Minako tossed one last glance over her shoulder at her friends as she was led away into the courtroom.  The door closed behind her, and a collective nervous sigh was released from all the parties who were left waiting.

            Ami sat back down, joined a moment later by Makoto, who went right back to tapping her foot.  Grandpa stood beside them, leaning against the wall and trying not to look worried.  Usagi started pacing again, setting a tread that an anxious looking Rei began to follow.  Ami resisted biting at her nails and realized just how long an afternoon this was going to be for all of them.

            Having never been in a courtroom before, Minako couldn't say if the one she was in now was smaller, larger, or the same as all the other ones in the building.  The emptiness of it, though, made it seem terribly large, and sitting there by herself beside a woman she barely knew made Minako feel very small and alone.  The emptiness of the room also accentuated its silence.  Each little noise echoed louder than it normally would have.  The pop of latches on a briefcase were more like gunshots to her, and Minako cringed before turning sadly curious eyes to the source of the noise.

            Her parents' lawyer shuffled papers from his briefcase and leaned over to whisper something to her father.  It had been three weeks since she'd seen or spoken to either of her parents.  The last time Minako had been away from them this long, her return had been greeted with hugs and kisses and tolerant parental patience as she rambled on about all the things she'd seen and done.  This time, however, her mother hadn't even acknowledged her presence.  Her father had looked at her, probably out of reflex at hearing the door at the back of the room open, Minako thought.  But the disappointment and embarrassment he wore made Minako wish he'd ignored her the way her mother was.  And, even though she'd anticipated those reactions to a degree, it hurt far more than she'd expected to actually have it happen.

            The door to the right of the judge's bench opened, and everyone stood as he took his seat.  Minako had always been told first impressions were important, and she tried to project the best impression she could in those few seconds while forming her own of him.

            Himuro Jinto came across as stern and serious.  Older than her father, he neither smiled nor frowned, but kept his mouth in a straight line that gave away no real hints to his mood.  The way he held himself, tall and proud, left no question as to whose domain this was.

            As Minako retook her seat, she reminded herself that stereotypes were a bad thing.  She didn't want people doing that to her, and she shouldn't do it to others.  Just because he looked like a very humorless and conservative man didn't mean he wouldn't also be a fair man.  The universe was, after all, a balance of fairness.  Beginning to twist the gold ring on her finger, Minako hoped that first impressions weren't really as important or telling as she'd been led to believe.

            Jinto listened to the case as he would any case brought before him.  When each side was well and fully done, he retired to his chambers to look over the notes he'd taken and all the information he'd been handed.  When an appropriate amount of time had gone by, he went back and passed down a decision that irrevocably altered the lives of the three people involved.  That was, after all, Jinto's ultimate power.  Except this time, it hadn't been his.

            Power could be a heady and ego inspiring thing.  Jinto knew this from his years of wielding his own particular brand of it over the people who passed through his courtroom.  To hold the fates of so many lives had always been an awesome responsibility to him, one he both revered and reveled in.  It was, therefore, very disconcerting when that power was taken away from him.  On occasion, however, one needed to be humbled slightly in order to fully grasp the brighter ring that was being offered.  He looked down at the documents he'd just signed, the ink still drying on the paper.  The Aino case was now closed, though not in the way he would have chosen if he'd really had a say in it.

            To the girl's credit, she appeared to be a mature young woman who was very determined and very set on her path.  Her parents were going to lose her because of their stubbornness, with or without his help.  So what did his own thoughts on it really matter?  Jinto sighed as he closed the file folder.  But if it had been up to him, he would have sent her home and let her parents try to finish raising her, come what may.  That wasn't what had happened, though.  Instead, he had set her free and welcomed her into adulthood, whether she was ready for it or not.

            Pulling his cell phone from its clip, Jinto dialed a number from memory.  "Good afternoon, Yoshimura-san," he said pleasantly when the phone was answered.   "I trust you're doing well."

            "As well as can be expected," answered Kimiko.  "I presume you're calling about the matter we discussed involving the Senator's daughter?"

            "Right to the point, Yoshimura-san, as always.  Yes, that's why I'm calling.  The matter has been dealt with in a way I'm certain the Senator will be pleased with."

            Kimiko's voice took on a slightly more pleasant edge.  "We're thankful to you for your help and your continued discretion, Himuro-san.  I've been asked to extend an invitation for you to join the Senator this Sunday for brunch.  He would like to thank you in person."

            Jinto smiled, suddenly much more satisfied with this case than he had been.  "I gratefully accept the Senator's invitation.  Thank you."

            After the call was completed with all the necessary pleasantries, Jinto folded up his phone and placed it back on his belt clip.  Then he stood and reached for his robe.  There was a full docket ahead of him, the decisions to which were fully and wholly his.

            The room was slowly getting darker, but neither girl moved from the bed to turn on a light.  Still dressed in the blouse and skirt she'd worn to the hearing, Minako sat curled up against Rei with her head resting against Rei's chest.  She listened to the calm, even beat of Rei's heart and tried to find her own peace there.

            As Rei's hand stroked slowly over her hair, Minako thought about how all the time she'd spent preparing for the worst had left her completely unprepared for getting what it was she wanted.  When the judge had made his announcement, it had been swift and to the point.  There was no fanfare or celebration, nor cries of outrage and injustice.  There were no sounds at all, save for the drop of the gavel.  Her lawyer had automatically responded with a curt nod of approval, and Minako had looked over to her parents, needing to see.

            In that moment of decision, her father had turned to look at her as well.  In his expression, Minako saw all the same things she had seen earlier, except for one little thing.  In his eyes was a sadness and loss she hadn't expected, and for the first time, Minako truly felt the finality of the choice she'd made.

            And then there had been her mother…

            "She wouldn't even look at me, Rei," said Minako quietly, breaking the silence that hung over them.  "Mom was so angry she couldn't even stand to look at me."

            Rei's arms wrapped around Minako and held her closer.  She could feel the tears as they silently began to fall.  Pushing back the renewed hatred she felt for the people who had put Minako through this, Rei remained as calm as she could and rocked the girl gently.  "It'll get easier, Mina.  I promise it will.  And I'll be here with you."

            With a shaky breath, Minako nodded against Rei.  She cried a little harder as Rei continued to whisper softly to her.  Through it all, one thought remained prevalent and kept her from drowning.  For better or worse and everything in between, she was home.

*            *            *

            The bed was warm, the pillows Makoto had wedged under and positioned around her were soft, and while she was hesitant to call anything comfortable these days, she was, at the moment, happily content.

            At some point not too long ago, the alarm clock had gone off, signaling the start of the first day of the new school term.  Ami had gotten up rather easily, the morning person in her always evident, even when they'd been on break.  Makoto, on the other hand, had lost count of the number of times she'd said, "Just ten more minutes," each time Ami had come back to wake her.  And each time, Ami, the sweetheart that she was, would oblige the request and give her ten more minutes to rest.  

            She hadn't really fallen back to sleep since Ami's last call, only drifted in that place somewhere in between.  So when Ami's soft footsteps started across the carpet again, she woke that much more, and when the mattress dipped slightly under Ami's weight, Makoto groaned in inevitable acceptance.  

            Ami's fingers carefully brushed the bangs across Makoto's forehead as she said very apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mako-chan.  I know you didn't sleep well last night, but you have to get up this time.  Breakfast is ready, and if you don't come out now, you won't have time to eat."

            Makoto struggled to sit up in her fluffy prison.  She looked at Ami through sleepy eyes and wondered how she'd missed the girl getting dressed.  Maybe she had actually fallen asleep again, after all.  With a sigh, she said, "Okay, I'm really up this time.  Thanks for doing breakfast for me.  Just let me take a quick shower first."  Makoto yawned and rubbed at her eyes before slowly moving her legs over the side of the bed.  She leaned forward to place a good morning kiss on Ami's cheek, then asked, "What do you want for lunch?  I'll fix that after I eat."

            "I did that already, also," answered Ami.  "I hope you don't mind sandwiches."

            Makoto looked at Ami curiously.  There was no way she could have had enough time to get completely dressed and make both breakfast and lunch, because the alarm had only just...  Makoto looked over at the clock and cursed under her breath.

            Trying to hurry, but only managing to move slightly faster than she had a moment ago, Makoto got to her feet.  She tossed out a quick, "Why didn't you tell me it was so late?" before grabbing a towel and disappearing into the hall.

            Ami, unperplexed by it all, remained seated on the bed.  "I did tell you," she said to the empty room.  The she shrugged her shoulders and got up to leave the room as well.

            "I hate this uniform."

            Minako looked over to the source of the complaint.  Rei stood, staring in the mirror, a frown on her face.

            "It's just so... blue.  And too long," complained Rei further as she pulled at the skirt, lifting it and letting it fall back to her knees to prove her point.  Then her hand slapped at the bow that hung limply on her chest.  "And what's with this stupid bow, anyway?  Yours doesn't do this."

            Minako finished pulling on her socks, then got up from the bed and walked over to Rei.  Very patiently, she stood behind Rei and reached around to the bow in front.  They both watched as Minako retied the bow with a practiced ease.

            "There," said the blonde, giving a small, final tug.  "I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do about the rest of it, though."

            Rei exhaled in nervous agitation.  Speaking to Minako's reflection, she answered, "Well, at least the bow doesn't look like a dead thing anymore."

            Minako grinned and wrapped her arms around Rei, leaning her chin on Rei's shoulder.  "I like the way this looks on you.  The whole thing."

            "Thanks," answered Rei.  A lopsided grin appeared, and she added, "But next time I'm picking a school with a better uniform."

            "Oh, to hell with it," mumbled Makoto as she threw a handful of safety pins on her dresser and her uniform skirt on the floor.  What had been just a bit tight two weeks ago wasn't fitting at all now, and no matter how she pulled at, repositioned, or tried to pin the thing, it just wasn't going to work.  So rather than fight with it anymore, she went over to her closet and took out a short sleeved, gray dress with no zippers, hooks, or buttons on it whatsoever.

            As dressed as she planned on getting, Makoto pulled her hair up into a ponytail and went out into the livingroom.  When she saw the curious look on Ami's face, she forestalled the question by saying rather pointedly, "Don't.  Say.  A word.  Not one.  As far as I'm concerned, this is ready to leave.  And if anyone disagrees with me, they can suspend me.  In fact, I hope they do, just so I can be done with them that much sooner."

            Ami didn't argue or comment on Makoto's mini tirade.  She only stood from the chair she'd been waiting in and picked up both their bags.  Makoto took hers as they walked out the door and followed Ami as far as the stairs, where she stopped on the first step.  A puff of air hit her bangs as her mind did a mental count of the number of steps in front of her plus the number of blocks to school.  She multiplied that by what those numbers were going to do to her back and feet, and then she remembered the walk home and squared it all for good measure.  The sum of that crooked equation was less than encouraging.

            "Mako-chan?" questioned Ami from her place a few steps down.  "Are you all right?"

            Makoto let go of the numbers tumbling through her head and focused on Ami.  "Hmm?  Oh, yeah, I'm okay."  She set her bag down against the railing and turned back towards the apartment.  "I just forgot something.  Be back in a minute."

            Ami debated for a moment, then headed back up the stairs after Makoto.  Makoto had left the door open, and Ami stood in the doorway watching as Makoto dialed the phone.  

            "Michiru, hi," said Makoto when the other end was answered.  "I know you guys are busy getting Hotaru ready and all, but could I talk to Haruka for a few minutes?"  For a moment, she looked up and over at Ami, one side of her mouth turning up in an almost-smile, before she turned back away.  "Hey, Haruka.  Yeah, we're okay.  I was just wondering if that offer for a ride was still good?"

            Ami smiled to herself and walked back outside.  She stood downstairs and waited for Makoto to finish.

            A few minutes later, Makoto joined her downstairs.  "Haruka's coming to get us.  She shouldn't be too long."

            "I'm glad she's coming to get you," answered Ami.  "But I think I'd prefer to walk.  She's doing this as a favor to you, and I'd feel as if I was imposing on that.  Besides, the others are waiting."

            "So call Minako's cell and tell her what's up.  And you wouldn't be imposing.  Haruka included you when she said she would be by."

            Ami grinned and shook her head.  "No arguing, remember.  You already said it.  But I will wait with you until she gets here."

            "No, go on ahead," said Makoto, understanding Ami's point of view, even if she did prefer to keep the girl with her.  "You'll be late if you wait with me."

            Moving closer, Ami stretched up to place a quick kiss on Makoto's cheek.  Her thumb reached up and stroked the spot her lips had touched as she said, "I'll see you when you get to school, then."  Her steps were hesitant as she began to walk away, and, just before she turned the corner, she looked back over her shoulder and waved one more time.

            Makoto waved back, then leaned against the railing once Ami was out of sight.  She looked down at the little pink lunch box Ami had taken the time to wrap up for her this morning, even though she'd gotten as little sleep last night from all of Makoto's tossing and restlessness as Makoto herself.  How many different ways could a person find to say 'I love you?'  Makoto was already staring at one, while ideas for a way to say it back started to tumble through her mind.

            Itoh Yukari considered herself to be a very lucky person.  After all, none of her friends had a best friend in college who was willing to take time out and drive them to school in their shiny new graduation present for the sole purpose of giving them bragging rights.  But Aika was good like that, and Yukari flashed her a thousand watt smile as they pulled up in front of the school.

            "Thanks, Aika.  I really appreciate it," said Yukari as she took her time gathering herself together, just to be sure enough of her classmates saw them.

            "No problem," answered Aika.  "Because it's not like we could let you be seen riding in with your father or some equally horrible thing."

            Yukari stuck her tongue out at her friend's sarcasm and forgot to pull it back in as her eyes went wide and followed the yellow convertible that drove by and swung around to pull in behind them.

            Aika was rolling her eyes even before the exclamation burst out of Yukari.

            "Oh my gosh!  It's the Emperor's nephew's son!  And he's with Kino-san.  And they have a kid," announced Yukari in over exaggerated shock as she watched Makoto get out of the car and Hotaru climb into the front seat.  Then her feigned shock turned into a giggle.  "I wonder if Hideo-sensei knows she's being cheated on?"

            Aika gave Yukari's arm a light shove that only made the girl laugh harder.  "Jeez, Yukari.  You know, not everyone can tell when you're joking and when you're trying to be serious.  So watch what you say.  Kino-san doesn't need any more illegitimate kids pinned on her.  Now get out of my car and go find Minako," said Aika as she reached across Yukari and opened the door.  "That guy is really cute, and I want to know who he is, if he's single, and if that kid is just his baby sister who he's being a prince for and dropping off at her elementary school before heading over to whatever prestigious university he's a student at."

            Yukari snapped off a quick salute, then teased, "Yes, ma'am.  Should I find out what his favorite dessert is, too, while I'm at it?"

            Aika frowned at the giggling brunette and shooed her quickly from her car.  "I want answers when I come back, or I'm leaving you to your father," threatened Aika after the car door was closed.

            Yukari shot off one more salute, then turned and hurried away on her mission.

            There were pluses and minuses to every situation.  Rei realized this and was actually pretty glad she seemed to be more on the plus side of things this time.  Of what was on the minus side, there wasn't too much to complain about.  She wasn't in Minako's class, but she was in Makoto's, sitting right across from her, in fact.  The uniform was a bit icky, but workable once the bow was done right.  She didn't know anyone and did miss the attention she was used to getting from the other girls, but, again, this was something she could live with.  And she had already been asked to the Welcome Back dance by that boy sitting over by the window, so she wasn't feeling completely hopeless.

            At the front of the room, the teacher was going on about the things he hoped to accomplish with the class over the course of the term.  Here was another plus.  This guy seemed much more interesting than her last history teacher, Sister Mary Margaret.  Yet not quite so interesting that she felt the need to write down every word he was saying, the way Makoto seemed to be.  Rei glanced over at her friend, who was still scribbling away, and wondered if maybe Ami wasn't starting to rub off on her just a little too much.  Then again, not even Ami could find a way to take that many notes on what was little more than a verbal syllabus.

            Rei's curiosity ratcheted up a notch when she noticed Makoto's quick nod and the way she began to fold up the paper she'd been writing on.  The teacher finished up what he was saying just in time for the bell to ring, and Makoto stood from her seat.

            "I'll be right back," she said to Rei.  Then she grinned.  "Don't break any more hearts while I'm gone."

            "How do you know about that?" asked Rei quietly enough to keep it between them.

            "I was coming back just as you were shooting him down.  But at least you were nice about it," teased Makoto.

            "You'd think the ring would be a tip-off," said Rei with a wave of her hand, the gold band on her ring finger plainly clear.

            Makoto shrugged, not having any better answer, then got herself out of there.  She had two stops to make and only ten minutes to make them in.

            All in all, it had been a good first day back.  Ami now had a clear layout of what was ahead of her academically for the next few months.  With that information, she was able to begin forming a good schedule of what she needed to complete in the next few weeks so she could devote more of her time where it would be most needed next month.  Namely, with Makoto and the baby.

            Feeling secure in her plans, Ami opened her locker… and froze.  There, sitting atop her shoes, was a tiny folded note with her name and a little heart printed on it.  Ami's face went instantly bright red.  Her heart started to beat faster and her palms began to sweat.  Her ears started to ring and her eyes darted from side to side to make sure she was still the only one here.

            Upon confirmation that she was alone, Ami's eyes shot back to the little love letter.  Her thoughts began to randomly tumble over each other.  Surely everyone knew about her and Makoto by now.  Why would someone do this?  What would Makoto think if she found out?  Would she be jealous or amused?  Or both?  And what was she supposed to do with this thing?  If she knew the boy, was she supposed to ignore him or seek him out and politely say 'no thank you?'  Or was that being too terribly presumptuous?  Or what if it wasn't one of the boys, but one of the girls this time?  That was a possibility, all things considered.  And why did this have to happen now, darn it!  Because she was never good at handling these sorts of things.

            Starting to feel a little dizzy, Ami gripped the door of her locker with one hand and cautiously reached forward with the other, as if that tiny piece of paper could somehow leap up and bite her.  Very carefully, her thumb and index finger grasped the edge of the note and started to lift it out of the locker.  That was when she noticed it.  The handwriting actually looked extremely familiar.

            Suddenly feeling very foolish, Ami gave a little embarrassed cough and began to open the note with a steadier hand.

            Dear Ami,

                        When I got to school this morning and walked in the door, for 

            just a moment, I felt my heart stop, because standing there in the

            hallway was the most beautiful person I've ever known.  I was in 

            awe of her.  And then my heart soared because I realized I get to 

            see her every morning just by opening my eyes, and then again every 

            night right before I close them.  I'm a really lucky person, aren't I?

                        Thanks for taking care of me this morning, sweetie.  I love you (and 

            not just for your cooking).

            Makoto

            Ami reread the note one more time, a warm smile replacing the embarrassment she'd worn.  Amazing how something so small could make her feel so good.  She refolded the note and placed it inside her bag so she wouldn't lose it, then went to meet the others for the walk home.

*            *            *

            With a yawn, Ami stretched her arms high over her head.  As she brought them back down, one hand paused to rub her eyes while the other reached for the mug of peppermint tea Makoto had set on the desk beside her.  She took a sip of the now lukewarm liquid, then tried to refocus on the notes in front of her.

            She heard Makoto's footsteps a second before a warm hand gently touched her neck.  Ami closed her eyes as Makoto's fingernails scratched lightly against her skin and into her hair.

            "You've done enough for the first day back," said Makoto quietly as her fingers continued to move slowly and work out the tension that had been building in Ami all evening.  "You need to take a break and relax."

            "I'm almost done.  Just a little more," was Ami's response, though she didn't open her eyes or try to move away at all.

            Makoto grinned and reached forward to close Ami's notebook.  "No, you're definitely done for the night.  Now you get your reward for being such a hard worker."

            Ami opened her eyes and turned to look at Makoto.  She was standing there in her nightshirt and grinning in a way that let Ami know she'd been up to something.

            Smiling back with just a hint of the sleepiness she felt, Ami asked, "What kind of a reward?"

            "Come with me and you'll see," answered Makoto, a mysterious smile on her face as she tugged on Ami's hand to pull her to her feet.

            Ami complied, her studying put aside and forgotten as Makoto coaxed her into the  hallway and up to the bathroom door, which she slowly pushed aside.  Ami immediately noticed the soft amber glow inside the room.  Stepping in ahead of Makoto, her eyes reflected the warm light from the short, white utility candles that sat along the sink and the shelf on the opposite wall.  The tub had been filled, a layer of bubbles floating on top and giving off the slightest hint of lavender.

            Enchanted, Ami watched as Makoto walked over to the CD player they kept in the bathroom and pressed the play button.  A quiet piano melody drifted from the speakers, and Makoto moved back over to Ami.  Standing in front of her, Makoto smiled as she gently reached for the buttons on Ami's blouse.  "It's my turn to take care of you for awhile," she said in a soft voice as she began to undo the top few buttons.

            The pink that tinged Ami's cheeks was barely noticeable in the low candlelight.  She stood still and allowed Makoto to do as she pleased, closing her eyes and enjoying the light tickle of the taller girl's fingers against her belly and then her arms, as Makoto's fingertips trailed softly upward along the outside of them.

            Without a word,  Makoto moved so she was standing behind Ami, where she took hold of the blouse and gently eased it down Ami's arms.  Setting the blouse aside, she reached back for Ami, her hands playing delicately against the smaller girl's sides, and she grinned as she saw Ami's bare toes curl and uncurl.

            Still grinning, Makoto lowered her lips to Ami's shoulder to lay a soft kiss there, while her hands undid the button and zipper on the side of Ami's skirt.  That fell to the floor and pooled around Ami's feet.  Makoto's left hand then moved to lightly caress Ami's belly as her right slid slowly up Ami's arm and over the top of her bra strap.  Slipping it down over Ami's shoulder, she placed another kiss in the spot she had just exposed.

            Ami sighed quietly and let her head lull to the side.  Makoto took advantage of the invitation and trailed her lips across Ami's neck.  She unhooked the bra and let it fall to the floor beside Ami's skirt.  On the way back up, her thumbs hooked into the sides of the little white panties with the green bow on the front.  For a few seconds, she teased under and along the waistband before sliding them over Ami's hips.  They slid down most of the way on their own, and Ami stepped out of them and away from the small pile of clothes at her feet.

            Turning so she could face Makoto, Ami reached up and put her arms around the other girl's neck.  She smiled at her for a moment before pulling her into a slow, lingering kiss.

            After several moments of indulgence, Makoto pulled back first.  Her fingers brushed the bangs off of Ami's forehead and tucked the sides of her hair behind her ears.  "The water's hot.  Get in and relax for awhile, and I'll come back and get you when I finish up what I need to do."  Then she grinned a bit sheepishly.  "I just need you to hand me the stuff that's on the floor, so I can hang it up."

            "Leave it," said Ami, her arms still resting around Makoto's shoulders, her eyes warm and vibrant.  "Stay and relax with me."

            Makoto shook her head and smiled.  "I'd like to, but it won't work that way.  Besides, this is just for you.  But, so you won't be lonely..."  She reached over onto the shelf and pulled down a yellow rubber ducky.  Giving it a squeeze so it would squeak, she said, "I'm sure Bug won't mind you borrowing one of his toys."

            Ami laughed softly, then took the duck she was being offered.  "But you'll come back soon, won't you?"

            "Yeah.  After I'm sure you've had sufficient relaxation time."  Makoto leaned forward and kissed the tip of Ami's nose, then whispered warmly against Ami's cheek,  "Besides, I'm not quite done with you yet."

*            *            *

            Ami sat patiently on the edge of the bed, wrapped up in Makoto's fluffy, white bathrobe, while Makoto stood over her and carefully dried her hair with a towel.  When she decided she was done with it, Makoto tossed the towel into the laundry basket in the corner and turned to get a brush.  She used her fingers to feather back Ami's damp hair, more as an indulgence for herself than anything else, then started running the brush in gentle strokes through the soft silk of Ami's hair.

            Soon, the hushed tone of Ami's voice drifted to Makoto's ears as she began to hum a slow tune.  Ami began to lose herself happily in the feel of Makoto's fingers and the brush's strokes.  While the lazy part of her drifted, her hands started to feel restless, wanting to return some of the touch she was being given.  Without any conscious effort on her part, Ami found her fingers skimming along the edge of Makoto's nightshirt.

            Makoto cleared her throat to get Ami's attention, but never paused in her ministrations.  "The two of you can play later, after I'm finished," she said, trying to sound firm, but grinning the whole time.

            The corners of Ami's mouth turned up, and her hands moved over the nightshirt to draw little circles on Makoto's belly.  "I was hoping I'd get to play with you," answered Ami softly, her voice a mixture of shy and mischievous.

            Makoto smiled, certain her cheeks were turning red just from that voice alone.  After a few more brushstrokes, she set aside the brush and placed a finger under Ami's chin to tilt her face up.  She smiled down at her and said, "Very pretty.  But, then, you always are."

            Ami felt a tender warmth wrap around her, not from the compliment, but from the reflection of love and absolute honesty in Makoto's eyes.  "Thank you," she said as she took the hand that was holding her chin and twined their fingers together.  "I feel very good and much more relaxed now."

            "I'm glad," answered Makoto.  "But there's one more thing you need, and then you'll be as relaxed as I can get you tonight."

            "And what's that?" asked Ami curiously, just a hint of suggestiveness behind the question.

            "Swing around up on the bed, and I'll show you," said Makoto teasingly.  "Just leave enough room for me to sit behind you."

            Ami did as requested while Makoto climbed into bed and situated herself with her back to the headboard.  The pillows she had behind her giving her the support she needed, Makoto lifted the bottle of body lotion from the nightstand and asked Ami to scoot back until she was sitting with Makoto's legs around her.

            Leaving the lotion alone for the moment, Makoto reached forward and moved the collar of the robe down just enough so she could touch Ami.  At first, her hand rested against the curve of Ami's neck, her thumb stroking lazily over the soft skin.  As Ami's perfect posture began to droop, Makoto's fingers began to stroke more firmly.

            A deep sigh escaped from Ami, and she fidgeted just a bit as Makoto's fingers started to drift further down inside the robe.  After several minutes of pleasant teasing, Makoto reached around in front of Ami and, with a little help, untied the sash holding the robe together.  Her hands then moved back up to Ami's shoulders and slowly slipped the material off of them, bit by bit, revealing the perfect, pale skin of Ami's back.

            Letting the top half of the robe bunch around Ami's hips, Makoto began to concentrate on the bare back she had exposed.  Her fingertips touched low against Ami's spine and slowly trailed upward, eliciting a quick shiver from the girl.  Smiling, she reached for the bottle of lotion that rested beside her and squeezed a little into her palm, rubbing it between them to warm it.

            Ami again caught the slightest hint of lavender just before the coolness of it touched her skin.  Makoto's hands worked slowly and in broad strokes, her fingers kneading soothingly into the muscles of Ami's back and shoulders.  Ami's head tilted slowly forward and her toes curled rhythmically against her crossed legs in a pace which matched that of Makoto's hands.

            A pleasant sigh escaped from Ami as Makoto's fingers worked their way gradually down the outside of her arm.  The coolness of the lotion mixed with the warmth of Makoto's palm against her elbow, fingers tickling lightly at the inside before moving down further to take her hand.  Makoto's thumb rubbed against Ami's palm, tracing the lines and massaging gently between the delicate bones.  Each finger was given equally caring treatment before Makoto moved over to do the same on the other side.

            As she stroked Ami's fingers with her own, Makoto leaned forward and whispered against Ami's ear, "Still feeling good and relaxed?"

            "Mmm," was Ami's barely coherent response as her fingers wrapped around Makoto's.  "I should let you sleep in more often."

            Makoto chuckled and placed a light kiss against Ami's ear.  Then she began to carefully ease the girl out of her lap and laid her against the pillows at her side.  When Ami was comfortable, Makoto eased onto her side next to her.  Her fingers began to play along the edges of Ami's hair, then traced a gentle path over her cheek.  Going further, her fingers teased over the curve of one small breast, until her hand finally rested against Ami's belly.  She watched her fingers as they rose and fell with Ami's breathing, and she drew the same shapes with her fingertips that Ami so often sketched on her.

            "This isn't just for today," said Makoto softly.  "It's just one small thing I can do for all the things you've done for me.  I do see them, Ami, even when a lot of the time it seems like I don't."  A corner of her mouth turned up into a half grin as her finger drew a triangle around Ami's belly button.  "Things like how you always buy me peanut butter and vanilla pudding, then let me eat as much of it as I want without saying its not good for me.  Or how you don't laugh at me for crying like a baby at those stupid long distance commercials.  And the way all the things I need to get to are suddenly down lower on the shelves or closer to the counter edge than they used to be.  And how you say 'I love you' and really mean it each time, rather than it being just words or what you're supposed to say at that moment.  I love you for all of that."

            Makoto's hand traveled upward with her eyes.  Her hand stroked slowly between Ami's breasts and under them as she watched the girl's face relax in pleasure.  "I love you for lots of other things, too," she continued.  "Like how you rub my feet for me, even though they're all swollen and ugly looking, just because it makes me feel better.  And how you worry over me all the time.  I love you for your patience when my moods get all swingy and crazy, and for your courage.  I definitely admire your courage, especially for the way you stood up to your mom, just because you wanted to be with me.  And the way you've always stayed true to yourself and been able to say, 'This is me,' to anyone who criticized you because of your smarts, or your looks, or the people you care about.  And I love you for not being ashamed of me because I couldn't."

            Ami reached up and touched the backs of her fingers to Makoto's cheek.  She stroked lightly and smiled when Makoto turned to catch her hand with a kiss.  "You shouldn't put me on such a high pedestal, Mako-chan."

            Makoto chuckled.  "Are you kidding?  I'm going to put you on the highest pedestal I can find, and then I'm going to hide the ladder so no one can find it but me.  That way, I can keep you all to myself."

            Ami's smile widened as her hand reached around Makoto's neck.  "Well, I suppose it's okay.  So long as you can still get to me," she replied, her voice low.  Carefully pulling Makoto down to her, Ami drew her into a deep, languid kiss.  Right then, she didn't care where Makoto put her, so long as she would always be able to reach her.  


	27. Living Life

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 27:  Living Life

            Her mind finally made up, Rei quickly pulled her shirt over her head.  She took a moment to interrupt Minako's shower by cracking the door and calling in, "Mina, there's something I have to do.  Go ahead without me, and I'll meet you guys at the park."  The door was closed again before Minako had a chance to pull her head out from under the water's spray.

            Rei's pace slowed as she approached her destination.  The cherry blossoms on the small branch she had taken from a tree at the shrine matched those that bloomed and fell around her as she walked.  Turning a corner, her hand reached out to run along the bars of the wrought iron fence that surrounded the cemetery.  When she reached the cemetery's entrance, Rei paused for a moment before going in and making her way to the short, black pillar that marked her mother's grave.

            Kneeling down, she brushed aside the covering of pink blossoms and other debris that lay across the base of the gravestone, then carefully placed the branch she carried in one of the holders on its corner.  "Hi, Mom," she said softly in deference to the stillness of the place.  "I'm sorry it's been so long since I visited.  I suppose you know about everything that's been going on.  I'm still trying to sort some of it out, but it's been getting easier."

            Rei took a breath and ran a hand through her hair.  "I can't give him any more chances, Mom, and I don't think he expects me to.  I know that hurts you, but he isn't the same as when you knew him.  Whatever it is that made you love him so much disappeared a long time ago.  I'm not even sure what it is that made me love him for as long as I did, either.  But I know he hurt you, and I don't know why you thought he wouldn't do the same to me.  I'm a little angry at you for that.  But for all the times I remember you saying not to be upset by what Dad did, and as much as I think you wanted us to have a relationship, I can't help wondering if you knew it was all going to fall apart eventually.  That's why you made sure I had Grandpa.  And I feel like I've taken that for granted all these years."

            A corner of Rei's mouth turned up into a small smirk.  "And speaking of Grandpa," she went on, "he's finally started teaching me to drive.  If he had any hair left, it would all be grey by the time I'm a fully licensed driver.  He told me about how you came home in tears and cried to Grandma about how he was being mean to you because you kept grinding the gears when you were learning.  I don't know if he's gotten more patient in his old age, or if having an automatic just makes it easier, but the trauma has been kept to a minimum."

            Grinning, Rei sat back and rested her weight on her hands.  "Now let's see, what else has been going on?  My friends have all got stuff happening in their lives these days.  Usagi's started the one year count down for when she can get married.  Though I swear she'd marry Mamoru the second he steps off the plane if her parents would let her.  He should be home the middle of next month, just in time for Mako-chan to have the baby.  She's due in a few weeks, you know.  The whole thing still seems a little strange sometimes, but she and Ami are really happy.  Plus, it's fun watching Ami get all wrapped up in something other than school for a change.  Turns out she's a hoverer, and she's got the rest of us babysitting Mako-chan when she can't be around to do it herself."  Rei laughed to herself as she sat forward and brought her knees up to her chest.  "Tomorrow's my turn, actually, but I don't think Mako-chan minds.  Because no matter how much she says she's ready for this, she's got to be a little scared.  Just so long as we don't baby her too much, I can tell she's glad to have us around.

            "I'm meeting all of them at the park with Mina in a little while," went on Rei as her chin rested on her knees.  She idly turned the gold band on her finger and smiled.  "Things with her are going really great.  I swear I love her even more now than when I first started telling you about her.  Somehow, we've survived everything that's been thrown at us, and she's telling the truth when she says she has no regrets.  Disappointments, yes, but neither of us regrets what we've done.  And I'm not afraid of forever anymore."

            After a moment of silence, Rei stood and brushed off the seat of her jeans.  "I have to get going, but I'll visit again soon.  Bye, Mom."

            As she turned to leave, a warm breeze picked up and blew against her back, pushing her hair over her shoulder and bringing down a rain of cherry blossoms from the trees around her.  Rei closed her eyes and smiled.  Tucking her hair away from her face, she looked back over her shoulder.  "I love you, too.  And I'll bring her with me next time, I promise."

*            *            *

            Minako flipped on the radio in the bedroom, then hurried to get dressed so she wouldn't be late meeting the others.  Plus, she wanted to find out where Rei had run off to without her.

            The song she was singing along to tapered off, and the DJ came on with his weather and cherry blossom watching reports.  "Looks like we're being smiled down on today, people, because we've got another sunny one ahead for all of you heading out to Ichinohashi Park, which is, of course, the best spot we could find to take it all in.  The blooms in that park are at their fullest today, so get out there and have some fun while you can.  We've gotten word that Hoshigara Elementary already has their picnic area set up.  Megumi-sensei says don't forget your sketch pads, kids!  For the rest of you, remember that the south corner of the park has been rented out to a private party for the day, so plan your own party around it.  And with that, we bring you the latest number one tear-jerker from the Princess of Lost Love herself.  Here's Nakusu Ai singing 'Falling.'"

            Minako reached over and turned off the radio.  It was a good song, one of her more recent favorites, but it was also one of the most depressing things she'd ever heard.  That just wasn't the mood she was in right now.  She finished dressing, humming to herself as she did, then called to Artemis and took off for the park.

           Coming up on the south end of the park, the first thing Minako noticed was the crowd.  People were pushed in tight, trying to see over and around each other, as well as a rope barrier, several vans, and what looked like television equipment.  Her curiosity growing by the second, Minako moved closer, but realized pretty quickly she wasn't going to get very far.

            "Mina, what are you doing?" asked Artemis from his place on her shoulder as Minako stopped and quickly looked around.

            As stealthily as she could, Minako began to sidle her way towards one of the vans that faced away from the crowd.  "I want to see what's going on," she answered, pressing herself against the side of the van, which forced Artemis to jump down from her shoulder.  She grinned down and whispered loudly to the cat, "Come on, Artemis.  You're just as curious as I am."

            "Curiosity and cats don't mix well," mumbled Artemis.

            Minako began inching her way forward across the side of the van, not really listening as the white cat talked to her.  She could hear other people talking now, and a man shouting out curt commands, but couldn't see anything good from this spot.  So, keeping her head below the tinted glass of the driver's window, Minako peeked around the front of the vehicle and smiled widely at the scene of organized chaos that greeted her eyes.

            The people she presumed were the workers were running around tinkering with equipment and setting up what was going to be their next shot.  She still couldn't see the man she heard shouting orders, though.  A boy in glasses caught her eye as he ran passed with a bottle of water and something he'd grabbed off the food table.  She watched him hurry over to a canopied trailer, and her eyes widened in excitement at what she saw.  Nakusu Ai, live and in person, practically right in front of her close enough to touch.  Just wait until she told the others about this!

            And then her view was effectively cut off by a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt stretched over an extremely tall and muscular man with a shiny bald head and dark sunglasses.  Minako slowly stood to her full height, her head tilting back so she could look up into his humorless face.  She grinned and laughed nervously, her mind quickly running through all the best excuses she could think of for her presence here.

            The security guard crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her.  But before Minako could begin to form her explanation of why she was there, she realized someone else was shouting at her.  She looked around the mountain of a man in front of her and saw a man pointing and gesturing almost frantically at her.  

            "You, new girl!  You aren't the one who gets paid to stand around and look pretty.  That's what her majesty over there is for," called the man who had been shouting orders at everyone.  His face was reddening from exertion under his graying beard, and at the pace he seemed to be going, Minako understood why.   "Now get that box over to Colleen so we can get this done!"

            Minako started to object, to tell him that she wasn't who he thought she was, but he turned away before she had the chance.  She frowned in confusion, then looked back up at the security guard, who only shrugged and stepped aside.  Not knowing what else to do, Minako shrugged also, then took a few steps back and bent down to get Artemis.

            "That's a good kitty," she said in exaggerated cutesiness to him as she scratched around his ears.  "I have something I have to do, so you go find your friends."  Then she added in a quick whisper, "And tell them I'll be late."

            Artemis nodded to her and meowed once for good measure before running off.

            Minako stood and turned back to the security guard.  "Um, you don't happen to know what box he was talking about, do you?"

            Without saying anything or looking away from her, the security guard pointed to a man in a gray, button-down shirt.

            Minako smiled at him brightly.  "Thanks," she said before going over to the box man.

            After a quick conversation and a silent confirmation from the security guard that she was indeed supposed to be there and in possession of "The Box," Minako was on the hunt for Colleen.  It took a few tries, but she was finally pointed to a petite woman atop a folding ladder who was toying with one of the large lights.

            Standing at the bottom of the ladder and holding "The Box" with its unspecified contents, Minako called up, "Colleen?"

            Without turning away from what she was doing, Colleen answered, "It's about time you got here, Iroki.  Senzo's been running around just begging to give himself a heart attack because he thinks we're running over."  Colleen laughed, then looked down at Minako.  Her laughter was cut short as she said, "You're not Iroki."

            Minako shook her head.  "No, sorry.  I'm Minako."

            "Where's Iroki?"

            Minako shrugged.

            Colleen slid down off the ladder and stood in front of Minako.  She ran a hand through the mop of short, dark curls on her head before readjusting the dark rims of her glasses over her hazel eyes to better look at the blonde in front of her.  From her looks and name, Minako had been expecting some kind of foreign accent, but when Colleen spoke to her, it was with perfect Japanese.

            Except that Colleen wasn't speaking to her at the moment.  Instead, she was walking away and calling rather annoyedly for someone named Senzo.  Minako, for lack of anything else to do, followed after her, never once abandoning her duty to 'The Box.'

            After shouting his name at him in close proximity several times, Senzo finally turned around to acknowledge her.  "Did the new girl find you?" he asked, not bothering with why Colleen was looking for him in the first place.  "Is that damn light fixed yet?"

            Having worked with this man for the last five years, Colleen was used to him and his eccentricities.  She also knew how to ignore his questions and get answers to her own, regardless of the roundabout responses he had a tendency to give.  "I can't fix it if I don't have my staff.  Where's Iroki?"

            "Who?" asked Senzo, genuinely confused by the question.

            Colleen rolled her eyes.  "The new girl," she clarified.  "Where is she?"

            "She's standing right behind you," answered Senzo, pointing behind Colleen to Minako.

            "I don't know who she is," shot back Colleen, "but she isn't Iroki."

            Senzo turned to Minako then.  "You're not the new girl?"  When Minako shook her head, he asked, "Then who are you and why are you holding that box?"

            Minako took a step forward and bowed as best she could with 'The Box' in front of her.  "Aino Minako, sir.  And you asked me to take this to Colleen, so…"

            Senzo nodded, remembering that part.  Then he asked, "Do you even work for me?"

            Again, Minako shook her head.

            "Do you want to?"

            The question caught Minako off guard, and she hesitated just long enough for Senzo to find an answer for her.

            "Good, you're hired," said Senzo firmly.  "You belong to Colleen.  Do whatever it is she tells you."  Then he looked back at Colleen, who was staring at him with her mouth gaping in disbelief.  "She's the new girl.  Now go fix that blasted light!  We're burning daylight and money here!"

            Colleen didn't even have a chance to answer as her boss moved quickly on to another person and issue.  So, instead, she looked over at Minako and grinned.  Sounding much more friendly than she had a moment ago, she said, "I suppose I should be used to that by now.  Anyway, I need to stop being so rude and introduce myself properly.  Minako, right?"

            Minako smiled back at her.  "Yes."

            "Mitsukari Colleen.  Do you really want a job?  It's okay if you say no, I promise."

            Minako thought about it for a moment, then answered honestly, "I'm not sure.  What is it I'm supposed to be doing?"

            "Well, for starters, you can bring that box over this way and set it down."  As Minako followed her back over to the broken light, Colleen studied her through sideways glances before finally saying, "You look really familiar to me.  I know you've never worked for us before, so where have I seen you?"

            Minako shifted the box a bit, then laughed lightly, hoping it would cover up the sudden shot of nervousness she felt.  "I think I just have one of those faces.  Everyone thinks they know me."

            "I guess," shrugged Colleen.  Then she asked, "Are you still in school?"

            "Mm hm, my last year," answered Minako as she set the box down.

            "Same as Iroki," said Colleen as she bent to rummage around in the box.  When she found what she was looking for, she got back on the ladder, but kept talking to Minako the whole time.  "Well, you'd be taking over her job, obviously.  We need someone around the office after hours, when the regular staff has gone home, but we're boneheaded enough to still be working.  Hours are four to eight, Monday to Friday, though you might be needed at other times, like today.  Officially, you'll be my part time assistant, but what it really translates to is you'd be a gopher for anyone who needs something from you."

            "What is it you do?"

            "I fix things," answered Colleen with a smirk that left Minako feeling like she was missing something.  "The man running around and shouting at everyone is Hagino Senzo.  He's usually a bit more calm, though not by much, and he's terrible with names, so don't ever expect him to remember yours.  And he owns all of us, since it's his company."

            Minako's eyes widened at that piece of information.  "Hagino?  As in Hagino Music Productions?"

            "Good girl.  You read the backs of your cds."  Colleen finished tightening one thing, tied off another, then looked down at Minako.  "So, still interested in the job?  I will warn you, though.  You may see some interesting things from time to time, but the job itself isn't always fun and can get downright boring."

            Minako looked around at all the people running around, setting things up, or tinkering with equipment or a temperamental young idol.  Somehow, she doubted things could ever get truly boring.  But there was just one small snag.  "I am interested," she answered tentatively.  "But I already have a job I can't just walk out on.  There are some people I'm going to need to talk to first, before I can give you a definite answer."

           Colleen nodded in understanding.  "That's fair enough.  I'd really appreciate it, though, if you hung around for a few hours.  I could use the help, and we could call it a trial so we both know what we're getting into."

            "Sure," answered Minako.  "But I'll have to call my friends and let them know where I am.  I was supposed to meet them here this morning."

            "Do you need a phone?" asked Colleen, automatically reaching for the one clipped to the pocket of her jeans.

            "No, thank you.  I've got one of my own," replied Minako, pulling hers from her pocket and holding it up.

            "You know, when I was your age, we had to use payphones," quipped Colleen.  Then she redirected her thoughts as she made the final adjustments to the wiring.  "So, is one of these people you need to call your husband?"

            Minako looked at her, surprised, until Colleen held up her hand and tapped her ring finger with her thumb.  Minako smiled as she twisted the ring around her finger.  "I forget sometimes that people can see it now," she admitted.  Then added just a bit hesitantly, "And, actually, she's my wife."

            Colleen's hands stopped in the middle of what they were doing, and she looked down at Minako with raised eyebrows.  "Really," she said, clearly surprised.  Then she chuckled and shook her head.  "You're a unique one, Aino Minako.  I can tell that already.  I think it's going to be fun having you around."

*            *            *

            The others had beaten her to the park with enough time to get the picnic blanket and first round of goodies set out.  Rei spotted Makoto first, sitting in a green folding chair with Chibi-usa on the blanket at her feet.  The little girl was sipping bright blue liquid from a squat soda bottle while Usagi and Ami stood talking to some tow-headed kid with a camera and school ID around his neck.  This boy wasn't the blonde she'd wanted to see when she got here, and the fact that Artemis was sitting there right beside Luna made Rei wonder even more about Minako's whereabouts.

            The first thing Rei heard as she walked up to them was the boy thanking her friends for letting him take their picture.  Well, that pretty much answered the question she felt like asking anyway.  "Hey, guys.  What's going on?"

            The grin on the boy's face grew into one that seemed slightly familiar to Rei as Usagi answered, "We're getting our picture taken for the school paper and maybe the yearbook.  Chio-kun is working for both today."

            The boy, Chio, nodded.  "I'd like to get one of you, also, Hino-sempai.  And one of everyone together."  He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Um, Aino-sempai wouldn't, by chance, be close behind you, would she?"

            Rei thought he looked just a little too hopeful when he asked that.  "Actually, I don't know where she is.  We didn't leave together.  You guys know anything?" she asked, directing the question back to her friends.

            "She was slightly sidetracked by something," answered Ami, silently promising to explain further once their unexpected guest had left.  "We're not sure how long she'll be."

            "Oh," replied Rei.  "Well, anyway kid, I'm not big on having my picture taken these days.  Especially for anything having to do with a newspaper."

            Chio's smile began to fade into disappointment.  "Please, Sempai?  Just for a group shot and one with Aino-sempai when she gets here."

            Rei frowned and answered pointedly, "No."

            The boy faltered, stumbling over his words as he searched his pockets in what was becoming a near desperate state.  Finally, he pulled out a piece of paper and stuttered, "But you're on the list.  If I don't come back with a picture of you and Aino-sempai, Yukari will hurt me."

            Rei narrowed her eyes at Chio and took the list he was holding up.  She scanned it quickly, noting places and people that had been specified and a few crossed off.  Towards the bottom, her eyes stopped on one item that read, 'Kino and Mizuno – cute factor.  I don't care if you have to beg.'  She would have found that very amusing if, right beneath it, Minako's name hadn't been written twice as big as everything else and underlined three times.  And below Minako's name was a bulleted sub-list:  *Group with friends – the usual 5.  *With Tsukino for the look-a-like's page.  *With Hino.  *Backdrop of blossoms – come back without and I'll hurt you (I know where you sleep).

            Rei looked up from the list and glared at the boy almost unintentionally.  She held the list so he could see it and pointed to Minako's name.  "Okay, who is this 'Yukari' and why does she want so many pictures of _my wife?"_

            Chio paled under Rei's stare.  Makoto was the first to come to the poor kid's rescue.  "You're scaring him, Rei," she said with an amused grin.  "And don't worry about Yukari.  She's his sister and in the drama club with Minako.  Their dad's one of the guidance counselors at school."

            "She's in our class, too," added Usagi.  "And the assistant editor of the school paper, and I think she's on the yearbook staff this year, also."

            Chio nodded to confirm this, his green eyes wide as he waited for Rei's reaction.  "All right," said Rei.  "That tells me who she is.  So what's the big fascination with Minako?"

            Ami grinned as she answered, "You know how Minako always teases you about having fangirls?  Well, Itoh-san is something of the Minako equivalent to that.  Minako is the star of the drama club, naturally social, and somewhat larger than life.  With Itoh-san's penchant for over-exaggerated gossip, Minako was just the perfect target for her."

            "Exaggerated gossip?" mumbled Rei as the missing pieces fell together behind her narrowed eyes.  Then those eyes opened wider as one particular piece clicked into place.  "Wait a minute.  Prince Haruka?"

            Usagi giggled as all three of them nodded.  Chibi-usa looked as confused at that question as Chio did.  She wanted to know what it meant and decided to ask Rei later.

            Rei laughed and shook her head.  "Okay, now I remember who she is."  Then she leveled a calmer gaze back at Chio.  "But that doesn't mean I want my picture taken or anyone stalking Minako to get a bunch of her."

            Ami's cell phone interrupted the boy's silence.  All eyes turned to her as she reached into her pocket.  "Hello?  Hi Minako.  Are you okay?  Your friend relayed your message to us."

            Rei took a few steps closer to Ami as the girl nodded to what was being said to her.  She wanted to talk to Minako, but this seemed to be shaping up into a conversation just between the other two.

            "Yes, I know," answered Ami with a fond sort of annoyance.  "Mako-chan is the same way.  She completely misses my point about those things not being for personal use.  Her own phone would be much more convenient."

            Rei and Makoto both gave Ami and her conversation a slighted frown.  "You know, I think I've just been insulted," muttered Makoto.

            Chibi-usa nodded and handed her up a bottle of bright pink soda to commiserate.

            Finally, Ami handed the phone over to Rei, grinning as she did.  "She'd like to speak with you."

            "Okay," said Rei into the phone.  "What's going on?  I haven't heard any of this yet."

            Rei listened as Minako explained what it was that had held her up.  Her eyes grew round as her jaw fell open.  "You've got to be kidding me.  There's no way."  She looked over to the cats, and Artemis gave her a quick, subtle nod.  As Minako did the same thing verbally, Rei laughed.  "I want to see this for myself.  Sit tight and keep an eye out for me.  I'll be over there in a few minutes."  She folded the phone and handed it back to Ami.  "I'm going over to see what she's up to."

            Rei had taken three steps when Usagi's voice stopped her.  Blue eyes looked over to Chio, who was still standing there, his hands holding on to his camera and a childishly hopeful expression on his face.

            Rei sighed in defeat.  "All right," she said.  "You can come with me.  But," she added sharply, "you may only take one picture.  Understand?"

            The boy grinned widely.  "Yes, Sempai.  Thank you," he babbled out excitedly.  He moved quickly to Rei, and as she turned and began walking away, he hurried to keep up, deliberately staying one step behind her as they walked.

*            *            *

            Colleen wiped the back of her hand across her brow, not caring about the small streak of dirt it left behind.  Her dark, curly bangs would cover most of it anyway.  She slid down off the ladder she was on, tossed a few tools into the box on the ground, then scanned the area for the two people she needed to find.

            Senzo was being annoyingly quiet at the moment, so her short walk found her Minako first.  Colleen stopped and stood not far from where the blonde was with two people she assumed were her friends.  The boy had a camera and was snapping pictures as Minako smiled happily and posed in front of one of the smaller cherry blossom trees.  A dark haired girl stood beside the boy, her arms crossed over her chest in an unhappy manner.

            Colleen tapped the knuckle of her index finger against her lips.  She watched as Minako waved the girl to her, only to have the girl very adamantly shake her head 'no.'  Not caring about the protests she was receiving, Minako pulled the girl to her and wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders, holding her there so the boy could snap off a few more photos.  The dark haired girl smirked at something that was whispered in her ear, and that was when it clicked.

            Colleen laughed loud enough to draw a few curious stares.  'I knew I'd seen you before,' she thought with a grin.

            Senzo appeared beside her, not terribly interested in what she found amusing.  He only wanted one thing.  "Is that damn light fixed yet?"

            Without looking at him, Colleen answered flatly, "Yes, that damn light is fixed.  That should be everything.  Of course, if you'd get some new equipment…"  She let the sentence trail, having said it enough in the past for Senzo not to need it completed.

            Senzo grinned at her, a brief window of amusement appearing in his otherwise frantic nature.  "I have you.  I don't need new equipment."

            Colleen turned to smirk at him at the same time Senzo looked over to see what she was staring at.  "What the hell?" he muttered before starting forward towards Minako's group.  "Hey, you, Shutterbug Jr.!  What are you doing on my set with a camera?"

            Colleen stayed where she was and waited to see how far Senzo would go.  If it looked like he was really going to scare them, she would help out.  She hoped Senzo wouldn't actually scare off or run off this particular 'new girl.'  She like her and wanted to keep her.

            A few minutes later, Senzo was waving to her with one of his hands resting on the shutterbug's shoulder.  "Colleen!  Get this kid over to Red!  I told you we didn't need to hire a professional to get shots of the crew!"

*            *            *

            Minako walked slowly to the sitting room, carefully balancing the serving tray she carried.  Rei followed beside her, now silent after the discussion they'd had while Minako was preparing the tea.  She understood why Minako wanted to do this.  Getting Grandpa's permission to take this new job was important to her, just as showing him the proper respect while doing so was.  Minako considered this not only good manners, but as the least she could do for the man who had taken her in, treated her as if she were his own granddaughter, and not asked for a single thing in return.

            The little creamer on the tray bobbled as Minako reached to open the door.  A tiny splash of cream dribbled down its side and around the plate of cookies as she quickly rebalanced the tray.  One of Rei's hands touched her arm to help steady her as the other reached around her and opened the door.  Minako gave her a grateful smile and either didn't notice or just ignored the small gap Rei left between the door and its jamb after Minako had gone through.

            Grandpa sat atop a dark floor pillow, his arms folded with his hands tucked into his sleeves.  He waited patiently as Minako set the tray on the table in front of him, righted the two china teacups, and filled them.  When she was finished, Minako sat across from Grandpa and waited until he'd lifted his own cup before reaching for hers.

            Several quiet minutes passed before Grandpa set his cup back on its saucer and smiled at the girl across from him.  "Very good," he said approvingly.  "I'm very impressed.  Now, I believe there was something you wanted to speak with me about?"

            Minako nodded and began her tale of what had happened the day before at the park.  Her smile grew as she described the people she'd met and the odd sort of chaos they embodied.  As she shifted to the details of the job she'd been offered, she settled down and became more serious.  She went through every point she'd rehearsed with her mirror perfectly, acknowledging everything he'd done for her and how thankful she was, promising to keep up with her schoolwork and still help Rei with the chores, and finally, very respectfully, asking for his consent.

            Grandpa steepled his fingers in front of him, the expression on his face one of contemplation as he looked at the girl before him, her head bowed respectfully.  An expression that would have been perfect had it not been for the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, which Minako missed completely.  Clearing his throat once, he nodded and, sounding very serious, said, "Yes, yes, that all sounds very interesting, and the responsibility of an outside job could be good for you.  However, even though it sounds like you've thought this through a great deal, I must question if you've really considered what all of the consequences may be.  Not only for you, but for shrine as well."

            Minako was chewing nervously on her lip as she raised her head.  "I believe I know how it will affect me, Grandpa, and I'm willing to accept that responsibility.  I did talk it over with Rei, and I think we worked out a good way to deal with our chores.  If you would tell me what other concerns you have, perhaps we could talk them over and find a way to work something out?"

            "My concern isn't just with the workload shifting back to Rei.  It's with the shrine itself.  You see, a shrine without pretty girls is like a night without stars," said Grandpa sagely.  "Having two pretty, young shrine maidens working here attracts the same and is good for business.  And, as you know, I am terribly concerned with the spiritual wellbeing of the young women who come here.  Why, Rei herself could tell you how I've dedicated my remaining life to helping set them on the path to maturity and guiding them into the reality of true enlightenment."

            Minako's eyebrows knit together as she asked slowly, "Path to maturity?"

            "Yes," answered Grandpa with a curt nod.

            "And the reality of true enlightenment?"

            "Absolutely."

            Minako smirked, for the first time seeing the glint in Grandpa's dark eyes and knowing without a doubt this was where Rei got it from.  "And you think having both me and Rei here, after all the _wonderful_ publicity we've gotten lately, is going to bring in even more pretty young girls for you to help 'enlighten?'"

            "That has become my most earnest prayer," replied Grandpa solemnly.

            Minako's cheeks puffed out as she tried to hold in her giggles.  A few escaped, but a deep breath took care of those that didn't.  Then she smiled prettily at him and said, "I hate to say this, Grandpa, but I don't think any of the pretty, young girls who would come to the shrine because of me and Rei would be all that interested in taking a stroll down any 'path' with you, or any guy, for that matter.  Besides, if any of those girls ever tried to lure my Rei down such a path, I'm afraid I'd be forced to offer them my own form of 'enlightenment.'  Or worse, think of what your granddaughter's very unmiko-like reaction would be should she find herself with the shoe on the other hand.  Are you really okay with tempting Rei's evil temperament so much by allowing me to stay in the presence and adoring glow of a bunch of pretty, young girls?"

            Grandpa sighed heavily and his shoulders slumped.  "I suppose you have a point.  You are a bit of a distraction, and would probably be better off working somewhere else.  Still, it was a nice thing while it lasted."

            Grinning ear to ear, Minako scooted over until she was sitting next to him.  "Aw, my poor, poor Grandpa," she said consolingly.  "But you still have a very beautiful Rei to attract all those pretty young things, even if she is a bit temperamental about it.  And I'll still be here to help out on weekends."

            Grandpa's exaggerated sorrow quickly shifted to a happy, lecherous little smile.  He leaned closer to whisper something that Rei couldn't hear from where she was standing on the other side of the door.  She did, however, hear Minako's shocked gasp of, "Grandpa!" and the giggles that followed it.  Then she saw Minako lean down and kiss Grandpa's forehead.

            The door to the room slid aside quickly, and Rei stepped in, a frown on her face.  She crossed her arms and looked down disapprovingly at Minako and her grandfather, addressing them as if they were two wayward children.  "Okay, that's enough of that.  I've told you before you should know better than to be doing stuff like that, Grandpa."

            "Like what?" he asked innocently.

            "Like whatever it is you just said to her," answered Rei.  Then she said to Minako, "And you.  Don't encourage him.  He's bad enough as it is."

            "Oh, Rei, don't be so mean," pouted Minako cutely.  "You should be nicer to your grandfather.  He's such a sweetie."

            Rei rolled her eyes.  "If you say so.  Don't you need to call that Colleen person tonight?"

            "That's right," answered Minako.  She stood quickly.  "Need to do that before it gets too late."  Before leaving she turned back to Grandpa and bowed one more time.  "This shouldn't take too long.  Then I'll come back and we can finish our tea."

            Grandpa nodded, and as Minako left the room, Rei sat down beside him.  She pushed one of the cookies around on its little china plate and said without looking up at him, "Thank you for letting her do this."

            With a smile, Grandpa answered, "She must choose her own path.  It's not my place to try and decide for her.  Besides, I could tell she was beginning to get bored with working here."

            Rei grinned as she picked up the cookie and tumbled it between her fingers.  "Something like that.  She had fun for awhile, though.  Her star just needs a little more happening on a daily basis."

            "What about your star?"

            Rei smirked.  "My star has enough trying to deal with you and your idea of 'enlightenment.'"

            Grandpa laughed, then reached for his teacup.  "I don't know what I'd do without you, Rei.  Even if you are terribly mean to your old Grandpa."

*            *            *

            Chibi-usa sat on the floor sandwiched between the side of Hotaru's bed and Hotaru herself.  The dark-haired girl was half lying in Chibi-usa's lap, down far enough so the back of her head could rest against Chibi-usa's shoulder.  Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was mostly even, disturbed only by the occasional giggle or silly grin.

            On Chibi-usa's command, Hotaru took a deep breath and began to let it out slowly as Chibi-usa counted.  She managed to make it all the way to six this time before Hotaru's even breath turned into a barely contained laugh.

            Chibi-usa grinned and bopped Hotaru on the head.  "Hey, come on, now," she said, trying to act like the serious instructor, but failing because of her own amusement.  "You're supposed to be relaxing.  So stop laughing all the time."

            "I am relaxed.  See?" smiled Hotaru as she held up her right arm with her wrist hanging slack.

            Chibi-usa took hold of the upraised arm near the elbow and gave it a little shake.  Hotaru's hand flopped up and down limply, proving its relaxed state.  Then Chibi-usa moved it from side to side, still encountering no resistance.  "Okay, you're relaxed," she agreed with a nod.  She raised the hand and patted Hotaru's cheek with it.  "Good girl."

            "Silly," laughed Hotaru as she claimed back her arm and rolled onto her stomach beside the ice cream bowl they were sharing.  She picked up her spoon and swirled around the soupy chocolate and butterscotch mixture before swallowing a spoonful.  When Chibi-usa joined her, she went on, "But I was already relaxed when we started.  So were you.  I don't think practicing will work if we're both already relaxed to begin with."

            Chibi-usa nodded around her ice cream.  "Well," she started as she swallowed, "everyone seemed more like they were playing than practicing when Ami and Makoto came over last weekend after they all got done at the hospital.  But I think you're right.  They're probably a lot more serious when they do that stuff in class."

            Hotaru slowly swallowed another spoonful of melted ice cream before saying, "So what we need is someone who's serious and tense."

            Chibi-usa nodded with her spoon hanging from her mouth.  For a moment, Hotaru imitated the action.  Then their eyes met and held steady as identical grins spread across their faces.  Two spoons dropped quickly into the chocolaty remains of the ice cream as both girls bolted for the hallway.

            She had been sitting in the house's small library, her feet propped up comfortably on the leather ottoman that matched the large chair she was most fond of, when she heard their voices and stampeding feet coming down the hall.  Setsuna had lowered the book she held, using her finger to keep her place, and waited.  Even expecting them, however, she still jumped just a fraction as the door was flung open and the two girls came flying into the room.  Now, she sat with Hotaru on one side of her and Chibi-usa on the other, listening as they explained to her why she wasn't relaxed enough and how they could help her with that if she would let them practice on her.  She was almost afraid to ask what it was they wanted to practice.

            "What Ami and Mako-chan showed us," answered Chibi-usa.

            "For when Mako-chan has the baby," explain Hotaru further.  "They were practicing at Chibi-usa's last weekend."

            "Except Hotaru wasn't there," added Chibi-usa.  "So I said I would show her how to do the relaxing breathing stuff, since we all need to know how to keep Mako-chan calm until Ami can get her to the hospital.  But we need someone who really needs to relax so we know if it's working or not."

            "Hotaru, Small Lady," began Setsuna, giving each girl a small, indulgent smile.  "I think it's very commendable that you want to be able to help Makoto when the time comes.  However, I am actually very relaxed at the moment, so it wouldn't work any better with me than it was with you upstairs."

            Hotaru pulled Setsuna's arm up from the chair arm and gave it a light shake.  Ignoring the raised eyebrow her mother gave her, Hotaru concentrated on the stiffness in her wrist.  Shaking her head sadly, Hotaru pronounced, "Nope, Setsuna-mama, you're all tense.  See?" asked Hotaru as she gave the arm another jiggle and got the same result.

            Setsuna opened her mouth to protest once again, but was stopped by Chibi-usa's almost pitiful plea of, "Please, Puu?"  She looked down at the girl, her lower lip now pouting out and her eyes all round and sad looking.  Then, against her better judgment, she looked back at Hotaru, knowing full well what she was going to see was going to kill her resolve completely.  And sure enough, she saw those large violet eyes staring back at her in a heartbreaking puppy dog stare that was so much like one of Haruka's it was frightening.  And entirely effective.

            Setsuna sighed and hung her head in defeat.  "All right," she said quietly, reaching for the ribbon on the book's spine to mark her place.  "I'll help you practice.  Let's go into the den."

            Both girls cheered and helped to pull Setsuna to her feet.  She couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm as they drug her out of the library and to the den.

            Michiru finished cleaning off her brushes and put the last of her supplies away.  She stepped back over to the canvas she'd been working on for the better part of the day, observing it with a critical eye.  There was still something not quite right.  Perhaps tomorrow she could get Haruka to come and sit with her for a bit while she worked on it.  More often than not, just the simple presence of her partner helped her to find that missing something.

            Finally deciding she was completely done for the day, Michiru turned off the light in the room and went to find her family.  She knew Haruka was outside in the garage toying with the cars, though she'd lost the last of the sunlight an hour ago.  She wasn't sure what plans Setsuna had for the day, and the girls had been unusually quiet for the last few hours.  She wondered if perhaps the three of them had gone out and she hadn't noticed because of how occupied she'd been with her own task.  She was ready to accept this as the most likely explanation when she heard music drifting softly from the den.  Wondering what might be going on and why they'd put one of her old concert recordings on, Michiru walked up to the double doors that led to the den and slowly pushed one open.  What she saw brought a very amused smile to her face.

            The lights were turned down low to match the quiet tone of the music.  Setsuna sat on the floor, leaning against one of the couches with pillows propped behind her back and under her feet, her head tilted forward and her eyes closed.  Chibi-usa sat behind her on the couch, dutifully massaging her neck and shoulders.  Hotaru was on the floor at her stockinged feet giving the same concentrated attention to each one in turn.  The little girl laid one foot aside gently and was reaching for the other when she noticed Michiru standing in the doorway.

            "Hi, Michiru-mama," greeted Hotaru happily.  "Did you get your painting finished?"

            Michiru swallowed a laugh as Setsuna instantly tensed up at the mention of another person's presence.  "Not quite, Hotaru.  Tomorrow, perhaps.  So, what have the three of you been up to?"

            Chibi-usa and Hotaru gave her the quick rundown of what had brought them here and what they were trying to do.  "But I think she's all tense again," said Chibi-usa as she lifted and dropped a stiff arm back onto Setsuna's thigh.

            Setsuna cleared her throat, then opened her eyes to look at Michiru's elegantly smirking face.  Resigning herself to the fact that she was never going to hear the end of it, Setsuna decided she might as well take advantage of this while she could.  So she ignored Michiru and instead addressed the girls.  "Perhaps I am still a bit tense.  A little more practice might be in order.  You're both doing very well, by the way."  She wiggled her toes as both girls grinned at the praise and set back to their tasks, Chibi-usa taking on the role of breathing coach for this round.

            Michiru didn't even bother trying to hide her laughter this time.

*            *            *

            Lying on the couch with her feet propped up on the arm, Makoto watched Ami as she finished setting up the mini planetarium Setsuna and Hotaru had given them.  Well, given Bug was probably more accurate.  The planetarium, like the brown, stuffed bunny Makoto was playing with at the moment, had been gifts for the baby shower all their friends had surprised them with this afternoon.  They'd even managed to surprise Ami, though she'd been in on it from the beginning.  A small campaign of disinformation from everyone, including her mother, had seen to that.  So when Rei came over to show off her license and new found driving skills, Ami honestly had no idea where they were being driven to or why.  Makoto found herself more grateful for that than anything else she'd been given today.

            "That should do it," said Ami as she placed the top cover over the black dome of the base.  She stood to turn the lamp off, then reached back toward the coffee table to switch on the planetarium.

            The ceiling was suddenly bathed in tiny points of light that flowed down onto the walls.  Ami had chosen the filter for the constellations, so Makoto wasn't certain, but she thought she could see the Big Dipper in the mass of stars.  Ami touched another switch on the black base, and the stars began a slow, lazy crawl across the livingroom.  With the nighttime breeze coming in through the open windows and the sound of crickets mixed with the evening traffic, the room was given a calmer, gentler feel.

            Ami grinned at her handiwork and then moved back to the couch.  She carefully lifted the pillow from under Makoto's head and replaced it with her own lap.  Her fingers twirled around the end of Makoto's ponytail while Makoto played with the ears on the bunny that sat atop her belly.  She had finally graduated from the 'basketball stage' to the 'beach ball stage' according to Ami's mother.  Ami chuckled lightly thinking that Makoto hadn't found that quite as amusing as the rest of them had.

            Makoto tilted her head back and stared up at her partner when she heard that little bit of sound.  "What's so funny?" she asked, reaching to give the round, blue 'I'm the Daddy' button pinned to Ami's shirt a flick.  The yellow sticky note with 'Ami-mama' printed on it was still there underneath it, also, and Ami didn't seem in any hurry to remove either.

            Ami shook her head and answered, "Nothing really.  I was just thinking about something."

            Makoto rolled her eyes and groaned.  "It's not that 'let's use string to guess how wide around Makoto is' game, is it?  Because if it is, I'm never speaking to you again.  And I think someone needed to reiterate that part to Haruka.  It was _wide, not __tall, _wide_."_

            Ami chuckled a little harder at the memory of the length of string Haruka had taken.

            "I knew it," said Makoto indignantly.  "That is what you were thinking about!  Finding amusement in my humiliation."

           "I wasn't Mako-chan, honest," swore Ami, though she had to admit it had been funny.  Even if she wouldn't admit it out loud.  "I was just thinking of something my mother said."

            Makoto smirked evilly, then said, "Potty-training Ami?"  She laughed at the look that produced on Ami's face.  Even with it so dark in the room, she could tell Ami was turning a rather interesting shade of red.  "Don't worry, sweetie," added Makoto.  "I'll still love you no matter how many embarrassing stories your mom decides to tell."

            Ami's embarrassment slowly began to change back to humor, and she smiled down at Makoto.  Placing a kiss against Makoto's forehead, she said, "I should thank you for that, I suppose.  And I'll always love you, no matter how many yards of string around you are."

            Makoto lifted the little bunny up to kiss Ami's cheek.  When she brought it back down, she settled it against her side, then said, "I wonder if Suu will be jealous of her new siblings?"

            At the mention of her favorite stuffed cow, Ami grinned a little wider and went back to playing with Makoto's ponytail.  "Well, I don't know how she'll feel," she answered as if she were giving this very serious thought.  "But, just to be certain she doesn't feel left out or less special, perhaps we should keep her in the bedroom with us instead of moving her to the nursery.  She does seem rather fond of her spot on our bed, after all."

            _I knew you'd never give her up_, thought Makoto amusedly.

            The two of them fell into a comfortable silence.  Between the quiet night sounds and the feeling of Ami's fingers running softly over her hair, Makoto felt herself begin to nod off.  Her eyes had been closed for several moments when a random thought popped into her head, and she had to share.

            "When we get a house," said Makoto softly, "I want to be able to sit with you like this in front of a fireplace.  So we have to make sure we have a fireplace.  And a dishwasher."

            The corners of Ami's mouth turned up as she replied, "That sounds nice, Mako-chan.  Can we have a pool, also?"

            "Definitely," answered Makoto.  "We have to have a big backyard.  Big enough for a pool, and a swingset, and a tent so we can camp out and do this for real, and you can tell us all the scientific stuff about the stars we're gazing at."

            "Don't forget your garden," added Ami.  "He's going to be so much like you, and not just with his good looks.  I bet he'll love helping you with it and being out there digging in the dirt.  Though he may like the worms a bit more than you do."

            Makoto opened her eyes to look up at Ami.  The girl had her head tilted back and was watching the stars as they turned on their ceiling.  For a moment, Makoto thought about the yellow onesie Ami had bought as a shower present.  _He's not only going to be like me_, she thought right before she said, "So, you really think he's going to grow up to be a handsome, yet brainy 'Laptop Model,' huh?"

            "Yes, I do," answered Ami almost shyly.

            "What if he's more of a jock?"

            "I don't see a problem with that, either."

            "You wouldn't be disappointed?  Really?"

            Ami's head nodded slightly before she raised it from the back of the couch to look down into Makoto's eyes.  "Yes, really," she answered.  "I would never be disappointed by something like that, and I have every confidence that you will be more than able to handle that aspect of his life."

            "Whew, well, that's a relief," said Makoto, sounding as if she'd just been freed of some great burden.

            "Why do you say that?" asked Ami, curious as to why this was such a relief to her.  Surely Makoto knew by now she would love this child no matter what.

            A teasing grin formed on Makoto's lips as she answered, "Because I'm sure you're the one much more qualified to handle the homework part."

            "Mako-chan!"

            "Oh, come on, Ami-mama," laughed Makoto.  "You know it's true!  Would you really trust _me with keeping up _your son's_ grades?"_

            "I'm sure you would do just fine with that part as well," replied Ami, her smile widening at the new mental image of a little boy in a soccer uniform sitting at the kitchen table with his first grade reader.  "However," she went on, "I wouldn't mind the responsibility.  Not at all."

            "Homework, wow," said Makoto almost reverently as the thought really settled over her.  "He's going to have homework, and practice for whatever sports he plays, and we're really doing all of this, aren't we?"

            "Yes, we are," said Ami just as reverently.  Her hand found Makoto's and laced their fingers together.

            Flexing her fingers around Ami's, Makoto whispered, "Can I tell you a secret?"

            "You can tell me anything you want to, Mako-chan."

            Makoto swallowed hard, then said, "I'm just a little bit nervous about all of this."

            For a heartbeat, Ami was silent.  Then she answered, "I am, too.  But I'm still glad we're doing it."

            "Yeah, me, too," replied Makoto, closing her eyes and finding comfort in Ami's nearness.  And hoping that she was giving some of that back in return.  "Me, too."

*            *            *

            Makoto opened the door to the nursery and walked in ahead of Ami's mother.  "We finally got all of our stuff out of here and unpacked," she said as Kaya took in the room-in-progress.  "Now we're trying to get Bug's stuff into some kind of order."

            "Those last few weeks, I lost track of the number of times I rearranged Ami's things.  For some reason, I felt the need to keep refolding all of her clothes," said Kaya as she walked further into the room.  She passed by and ran her fingers over Ami's old crib, which sat in the middle of the floor.  On the side of the room with the closet, there was a rocking chair and changing table with a few pieces of clothing and blankets folded on top of it.  A dresser was set against the wall on the opposite side.  There was no order to the placement of anything, and Kaya could tell they were still in the process of arranging things, as Makoto had said.  Smiling, Kaya indicated the splotches of paint and doodles that decorated one wall.  "What about that?  I take it you're planning on repainting?"

            Makoto smiled.  "Yeah.  Antique white isn't a real color.  He'll get bored looking at it all the time, so I want to redo the room.  I think I like the lightest blue best.  The one Ami did the happy face in," she said, pointing to the image and brush strokes on the far left beside her own dark blue flowers.

            Kaya laughed.  "This is Ami's artwork, is it?"

            Makoto nodded.  "Her artistic abilities lie in her poetry, not her painting.  And I'm betting it will be the others that do most of the actual paint job, since I can't," she added, the slightest bit of annoyance creeping into her voice.

            "You'll have enough to deal with yourself," answered Kaya with some sympathy.  "Let them have this one little thing."  Then she smiled fondly.  "I always wondered if Ami had kept up with her writing.  It's been years since she let me read any of the poems she wrote.  I thought perhaps she'd given it up."

            "She still writes," replied Makoto.  "But she's shy about it and keeps most of it to herself.  I can't get her to show me half of what she does."

            The sound of the front door opening caught their attention.  A few minutes later, Ami came into the room.  She stopped beside Makoto, her hand briefly touching the girl's back.  "Hi, Mom," she said happily.  "I was hoping I'd get back before you got here.  I got everything on the list, Mako-chan.  They only had regular peanut butter this time, though."

            "That's okay," replied Makoto.  "I'll gladly take whatever I can get."

            Kaya smiled as she watched her girls.  Then she remembered the small matter that had brought her here earlier than planned.  Her voice even, she began, "I've had a nice visit with Makoto while we waited for you.  And you were only out taking care of your responsibilities, which is something I'm glad to see.  I was beginning to worry about that, you understand.  I thought perhaps with all the freedoms I've allowed you of late, that you might be slacking off."  Her arms crossed over her chest and she looked directly at Ami as she said, "We need to have a discussion, young lady."

            "Um, maybe I should go get dinner started," said Makoto, easily recognizing the tone of Kaya's voice even without the words, knowing she needed to get out of their way, and in a sense asking permission to leave before this conversation went any further.

            "Do you need any help?" asked Kaya, her voice losing some of the sternness she'd affected when she'd addressed Ami.

            Makoto shook her head.  "No, I can handle this part on my own."

            "All right," answered Kaya.  "But let us know if you need anything."

            Makoto nodded, then excused herself from the room.

            Standing alone, Ami fidgeted under her mother's gaze.

            "I got a call from your grandmother last night," began Kaya.  "Imagine my surprise when she told me how long it had been since they'd heard from you when I specifically told you two months ago to call them and tell them what you were doing."

            "I'm sorry," said Ami quietly.  "I meant to, but every time I tried to call, I couldn't figure out how I was supposed to bring it up.  It's not the easiest thing to work into a casual conversation."

            Kaya resisted the urge to say she did know because she'd already had this specific conversation with her mother, and instead smiled to help soften her words.  "I know better than anyone how hard it can be to tell your grandparents something they may not want to hear.  But you made this choice, and it's something you have to take care of yourself.  Don't be so worried about it, Ami.  Your grandparents love and adore you beyond words, and I promise any shortcomings you think they may see will be blamed on me, not you, so you have nothing to be concerned about.  You've got less than a month left.  I think it would be best if you told them before the baby is born."

            Ami nodded in agreement, then a grin slowly formed on her lips.  "We have three weeks," she said softly.  "Just three more weeks."

            Kaya smiled down at her daughter.  "Are you feeling at all overwhelmed by it yet?"

            "A little," admitted Ami.  "But it's a good sort of feeling."

            "Then that's what you tell your grandmother when you speak with her after school tomorrow," said Kaya.  "She's expecting your call, and it will make her happy to know that you're happy.  And if you can, when you talk to her, find a way to work in the words 'great grandmother' in reference to her.  Just for me."

            "I promise," laughed Ami.  Then she sobered a bit.  "Was she very upset with me?"

            "No," answered Kaya.  "Mom just assumed you'd gotten busy with school and the rest of your life.  Actually, that wasn't even why she called.  She's been after me for a while now about Gram's birthday.  Last night was just another excuse to drive her point home."

            "She wants you to come to the reunion this year?"

            "She wants us to come every year."  Kaya sighed lightly, a sure sign of her admitting defeat.  "I can't argue with Mom when she says Gram doesn't have many years left, and that we don't get up there nearly as much as we should.  Plus, this year, you have Makoto and the baby, and this would be a good chance to introduce them to everyone."

            "So we're going?" asked Ami, not at all minding the idea of seeing the relatives her mother so often tried to avoid.

            "Yes," answered her mother.  "And I thought you might like to invite your friends, as well, since you'll all be on summer break.  They've been good to you this last year, and it's the least we can do to thank them.  Besides, with all this unpleasantness recently, it would be good for them to get away for a while and have a real break.  Now, let's see," went on Kaya, becoming very thoughtful in expression, "Usagi's young man will be back by then, so you should invite him, also.  Assuming, of course, that her parents don't have any objections.  With his recent studies overseas, I think Father will enjoy talking with him.  And if Chibi-usa is still with Usagi's family, she'll be there so Hotaru will have someone to play with, just in case Kara is too young for her and she doesn't have any interest in playing with Seiji, so that will take care of that."

            "You want me to invite Hotaru's family as well?" asked Ami, doing a mental tally of how many people this would have invading her grandparents' estate.

            "Of course," replied Kaya, as if she couldn't understand why Ami would even ask that.  "They're your friends, so there's no reason you shouldn't.  It's not as if your grandparents don't have the room."  Then she turned her eyes away from Ami and picked up one of the little t-shirts that lay on the changing table.  Focusing all her attention on refolding the small garment, Kaya added, "And I thought… perhaps… I might bring a friend with me this year, as well."  She laid the shirt back down and carefully smoothed it out before looking back at Ami, a touch of nervousness in her eyes.  "Unless you think it would make you too terribly uncomfortable?"

            Ami smiled gently and moved to stand beside her mother.  Picking up one of the blankets beside the shirt Kaya had just refolded, Ami imitated her mother's actions as she said, "I think it would be nice if you had a friend to bring with you.  I shouldn't be the only one, Mom."  Then she looked back up, the smile still in place, and was rewarded with a similarly grateful one from her mother.

*            *            *

            It had been over an hour since Usagi had arrived at the apartment.  After greeting her and giving her a few minutes to settle in for the evening, Ami had taken the cordless phone and hidden in the bedroom to make the call to her grandparents.  Once since then, Makoto had walked by the bedroom, just to make sure everything was okay.  After several seconds of straining to hear through the closed door, she was able to pick up Ami's low voice.  There was no crying or shouting, and they were still talking, so everything must be okay.  Makoto hoped that was what it meant, at least, as she flipped another page in one of the wedding magazines Usagi had brought over with her.

            Now that she had official permission, Usagi wasn't wasting any time.  Tonight, since she was staying with Makoto while Ami went to cram school, she had brought over a bunch of magazines and catalogues she'd collected and had laid them all out on the dining room table in front of them.  The idea of being able to dress her friends up for her wedding was unbelievably fun to Usagi, and the idea became even more fun with one of those friends there helping with the preliminary 'perfect dresses' search.

            Makoto grinned as Usagi chattered on about flowers, and colors, and what would look best on who, all with an infectious sort of joy.  They had all found the happiness they'd been looking for, regardless of how they'd fallen into it.  This wedding would be the final cap to all of that.  Makoto envied Usagi that, just a little.  Not with a bad kind of envy, but the spiteless kind that left her knowing she'd be living a bit vicariously through her friend, right up to the day she preceded her down the aisle.  But it wasn't the marriage she envied.

            Marriage was, at its heart, about love, a promise, and a commitment to that promise.  It was what she had here with Ami, the thing they'd started the first night they said 'I love you,' and Makoto cherished that more than anything.  What she envied was the wedding itself, though she felt a bit foolish and silly for that.  After all, beach balls didn't wear white.  But she had spent so much time dreaming about what it would be like, the perfect end to the fairy tale she'd been looking for, that she could still see it.  Everything from the creamy colored satin, to the little pink sweetheart roses, to the two flower girls in long, white dresses with pink satin sashes and shiny, black Mary Janes.

            She wasn't sure how long she floated on that soft, familiar cloud, or was even aware she was doing it, until she came back down.  Usagi sat staring at her, her chin propped on her hands and a smile on her face.  Makoto's cheeks warmed at the scrutiny.  The blonde's smile touched her eyes, and Makoto saw a glint of knowledge in their blueness that left her thinking Usagi had seen some of that daydream.

            Still smiling, Usagi looked back to the magazine in front of her.  "Anyway, my dad wants us to get married by a real priest, not one of those Westerners-for-hire a lot of the wedding planners use," went on Usagi as if their brief pause had never happened.  "So as soon as Mamo-chan gets home, we can pick a church.  I hope that won't bother Rei too much.  But I'll keep her so involved in stuff, she won't have time to think about it.  And after you have the baby, we can start looking for dresses."

            Their conversation was still going on, having moved to the merits of lacy things with ribbon, when Ami came back into the room.  She sat beside Makoto, but not quickly enough to get a peek at the pages she'd just closed.

            "How'd it go?" asked Makoto, aware of the calmness Ami wore that hadn't been there before she made the call.

            "It went okay," answered Ami, a small grin on her face now that the weight of her nervousness had been lifted.  "Actually, it was a bit odd.  My grandmother was significantly less surprised than I expected her to be.  And while she was very interested in knowing about you, she spent considerably more time asking me about my mother."  Ami's head tilted a bit to the side, and her grin reformed into the thoughtful frown she wore when she was trying to puzzle something out.  "It's been three years since I actually saw them.  I didn't even know for certain back then, so I can't see how I could have given off any sort of signals or such for her to pick up on.  Perhaps it's just a matter of mother's intuition, or in this case, grandmother's.  Unless they really can tell just by looking, and Minako wasn't teasing about that."

            Makoto smiled, but didn't say anything beyond a quick reassurance that Minako had been teasing that day.  There was no need for Ami to know the real reason if she hadn't figured it out on her own.  Besides, it was all just speculation on Makoto's part.  It was just as likely that Ami's grandmother had really good intuition, the same way it was possible Saatchi-san was a just a really good and intuitive doctor who always knew exactly what little things were bothering her at any given check-up without her having to say a word.  However, Makoto suspected it had more to do with the one person they all had in common – Ami's mother.  

            "Regardless," went on Ami, snapping her attention back to the two in front of her, "Grandmother said they're looking forward to meeting you.  All of you."

            "I still can't believe your mom invited all of us," said Usagi.

            "I was a bit surprised myself, but more so because she wanted to go," replied Ami.  Then she looked over at the wall clock and stood.  "I have to get going, or I'll be late."  Out of what was now reflex, she started to bend down towards Makoto, but caught herself and paused, her cheeks tinged pink.

            Usagi giggled and turned in her chair so her back was to them.  She covered her eyes with her hands and said, "I promise I won't look.  Go ahead and kiss her.  You know you want to."

            Makoto laughed and shook her head, then reached for the front of Ami's shirt and gave it a light tug.  Ami moved closer and bent down to give Makoto a quick kiss.  "Love you," she whispered before straightening back up.

            "Love you, too," answered Makoto with a warm smile.  As Ami began to gather her books, Makoto added, "Call me when you get there and again before you leave.  If you forget, I'll make sure people start following you around, too."

            With a quick smile and a promise not to forget, Ami closed the door behind her.  Usagi turned around in her chair and leaned forward, resting her chin on Makoto's shoulder.  "Aw, how cute," she teased and laughed at the playful swat it earned her.

            "Smart aleck," chided Makoto with a chuckle.

            Usagi sat back in her chair and began flipping through the catalogue they'd been looking at before Ami came into the room.  "Hey, Mako-chan," she asked.  "If it was your honeymoon, which of these would you pick?"

            Several days later, when Usagi secretly slipped Ami a sealed envelope, the blue haired girl found herself grateful it had come with an imperative not to open it until she was alone.  Sitting on her bed, the door to the room closed, Ami stared at the torn out catalogue pages as her cheeks flamed red.  Who knew those little wisps of white lace and ribbon could hide so much and yet so very, very little all at the same time?

            The little pink note that had come with the pages was lying, unfolded, on the bed beside her.

                        Ami,

                        Mako-chan likes these best.  You guys are gonna have 

                        a great honeymoon!

                        Usagi

*            *            *

            Keiko made it to the guidance office just in time to see Yukari place a brown paper bag roughly on her father's desk and then turn away without so much as a word.  The attitude, however, was apparently only reserved for the elder Itoh, because when the girl passed the young teacher, she smiled prettily and greeted her with a pleasant, "Good morning, Sensei."  Keiko responded with an equally pleasant greeting and thought to herself that Yukari was likely the only student in the school other than Kino-san who wasn't intimidated by the man she had come to speak to.

            Knocking against the open door, Keiko said, "Am I here at a bad time?"

            Itoh-san shook his head and waved her in.  "No, no.  That girl's beginning to wear on my last nerve, though.  Sometimes, I think she forgets who the parent is and who the child is in this relationship."

           Itoh-san took the lunch bag Yukari had left for him and placed it in one of his drawers.  When he did, Keiko noticed the student files lying on his desk and felt just a bit sorrier for disturbing his morning.  "Are those all for today?"

            The hard line his mouth usually formed turned down into a frown.  He picked up several of the folders and started running down the list.  "These three are being suspended for the rather harsh hazing of a first year on the baseball team.  A first year whose parents are threatening to sue everyone they can think of, including us."  He let those drop to the desk and held up another.  "This is the reason for my daughter's newfound attitude problem.  Aino had to get a job, and because of that, has had to quit the drama club.  This is somehow all my fault because I'm the one who had to sign her working papers.  But at least she's keeping up her grades.  Or at least as up as Aino ever gets."  Minako's file hit the desk, and the next one he picked up was Makoto's.  "Since the term started three weeks ago, I've been hearing nothing but complaints from certain people, who shall remain nameless, because Kino keeps coming to school out of uniform.  She isn't even in their classes this term, for God's sake, and yet they still feel a need to complain.  But there are certain things you just never discuss with a pregnant woman, especially one that pregnant, and what she's wearing is one of them.  Kino can come to school in her bathrobe and slippers for all I care, just so long as she gets herself here."

            One corner of Keiko's mouth turned up as Makoto's file landed on top of the others.  "And what about this one?" she asked, her finger tapping against the one file he hadn't touched.

            The frown on Itoh-san's face went back to the line it had been in earlier as some of the tension in his brow disappeared.  "That one never gives me any problems.  Mizuno just needed some information for her scholarship applications.  She also wanted permission to keep her cell phone on during class when Kino goes on leave.  They should all be like her, Keiko.  She doesn't break the rules, when I have her in my office, it actually has something to do with her education, and when I talk to her, she listens."

            "I do believe, Itoh-san," replied Keiko, humor in her voice, "that if all your students were like that, your job would become considerably too easy."

            A rough bark of laughter escaped the guidance counselor.  "From your mouth to God's ears," he said.  Then he leaned back in his chair and asked, "So, what did you need me for this morning?"

            Keiko reached across the desk and picked up Makoto's file.  Seeing just a bit of Itoh-san's tension return, she smiled and said reassuringly, "It isn't anything terribly serious, and I have no complaints whatsoever."

            "She's just your favorite student, and you want to check up on her?" asked Itoh-san.  "Which would make sense, since you're the one who will be doing the home visits."

            "It would make sense, but that's not quite it."  Keiko placed the folder back on the desk and folded her hand in her lap.  "She's uncomfortable.  One only needs to look at her to see that.  Trying to deal with it is distracting her from what's going on in class.  She isn't getting what she normally could from being here, and I think, perhaps, now might be a good time for her to start her leave.  Tomorrow's Friday, it's only a week earlier than we'd planned, and I think it would do everyone some good."

            Itoh-san templed his fingers in front of him as he thought.  Slowly, he began to nod.  "I agree," he finally answered.  "And I certainly can't see any harm to readjusting our schedule a bit.  It might even reduce the tension levels of some of the faculty.  I swear I saw Yukiko practically running away from Kino the other day."

            "Well, we have to remember that no one on the faculty aside from you and I knows when she's due.  Little details like that do tend to cause a bit of anxiousness in some people," answered Keiko simply, not allowing any of the amusement she'd felt at Kume-sensei's uncharacteristic fear of her very pregnant student to color her words.

            Itoh-san looked at the woman in front of him, charmed by her smile and almost able to see some of the mischief behind it.  Giving her back what passed for his own grin, he began to relax.  Perhaps his day was starting to look up a bit after all.

*            *            *

            Five pairs of feet jogged at a steady pace through the woods behind Hikawa Shrine.  Having a better sense of the land and its layout, Mars led the small pack through their warm-up run.  Chibi-moon was beside her, breathing hard, but doing her best to keep up.  Venus was one step behind them, while Sailormoon and Mercury trailed behind.  Of the two in the back, the latter trudged along compliantly, even though this was something she truly hated to do.  The former was considerably less placid and complained whenever her lungs would allow her the breath to do it.

            Sailormoon yelped suddenly as a low branch appeared in her path.  She ducked, but not far enough to keep her odangos from brushing through the leaves.  Her steps thrown off and uneven, she flailed for a moment as she spit out the greenery that had fallen into her face.  With an annoyed grunt, Sailormoon steadied her pace, then picked it up until she was once again even with Mercury.

            "I don't get," huffed out Sailormoon between breaths, "why we have to do this.  I get enough exercise running… every morning… trying to get to school… on time."

            "We're almost done," answered Mercury evenly.  She banked a bit to the left, trying to keep to the path the others were clearing by virtue of being in the lead.  "Just try not to think about it, and perhaps the others will be here by the time we get back to the clearing."

            Sailormoon stayed close to Mercury so there was no chance of her getting lost or hitting anything else.  What seemed like forever and one turn later, they emerged into the clearing where the rest of their party, along with Luna and Artemis, were waiting.  There was still no sign of the Outers.  Mars was leaning against a tree near Venus and stretching.  Chibi-moon bounced on her toes, still wanting to move and waiting for the actual practice to start.

            _Pink sugar, definitely,_ thought Sailormoon as she watched the girl.  She plopped herself down on the ground at Mercury's feet, her legs forming a V.  She stretched forward to touch her toes, then sat back up and wiped her arm across her forehead to clear away the sweat that had formed under her bangs.  Letting out a long exhale, Sailormoon was getting ready to give one last, good complaint about the heat, when Mercury's soft voice stopped her.  She looked up to see Mercury with the palms of her hands facing the ground as the end of one attack phrase quietly spilled from her lips.

            With a jump and a squeak, Sailormoon's head snapped back down as the first, cool mists of Mercury's Shabon Spray touched her legs.  As the mist rose up around them, Sailormoon giggled and passed her fingers through the fog that began to dissipate around the level of her neck.  Feeling infinitely better with the temperature drop, she turned her smile up to Mercury.  "Thanks.  I needed that."

            Mercury returned the smile.  "You're welcome.  I feel a bit better now, myself."  She noticed the others begin to move closer and take advantage of the quick cool-down before it all evaporated, and the cats move farther away to avoid it.  Luna and Artemis jumped up on the rock where Mercury's bag was resting, and that was all it took to remind her of something she wanted to do.  "I'll be right back," said Mercury, heading for her bag.  "I want to call Mako-chan once before we really start practice."

            As Mercury took the cell phone from her bag, Luna said to her, "It's only been one hour.  I'm sure she's all right."

            "I know," answered Mercury with a slightly embarrassed grin.  "But an hour is an awfully long time when Mako-chan is by herself and restless.  I just want to make certain she isn't too restless.  I'll be quick, I promise."

            Luna watched as Mercury moved several yards away, concentrating on nothing but her phone call.  She turned to Artemis and said, "Maybe leaving her alone wasn't such a good idea, after all."

            Artemis nodded in silent agreement.

            Luna's attention was drawn back to the other girls when she heard Mars' voice.

            "She needs a better target than that," said Mars as the three of them stood around Chibi-moon and the tree she had her Pink Sugar Stick aimed at.  "Until that tree grows fangs and sprouts legs, it isn't a real target."  Then a devilish grin formed on her lips, and she bent down to whisper in Chibi-moon's ear.

            Chibi-moon listened intently, then nodded.  When Mars stood away from her, she turned to face Sailormoon with a grin that almost managed to capture the devilishness of Mars'.

            Sailormoon frowned down at the girl, who was now aiming at her, and took two steps backward.  "Hey now," she said, just a hint of nervousness in her words.  "You wouldn't."

            "You, evil look-a-like, who would kidnap someone who needs more practice than any of us, and then try to disturb the much needed training of the valiant and noble Sailor Senshi, can not be forgiven.  In the name of the future moon, I'll punish you!"  Chibi-moon smiled wide, and then let out in a loud burst, "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

            And nothing happened.

            The Pink Sugar Stick flickered several times like a neon sign, one lone pink heart tumbling passed its edge and landing on the ground in a poof of pink dust.  Chibi-moon frowned at her Stick as she gave it a hard, vigorous shake.

            Sailormoon put her hands on her hips and laughed.  "Serves you right.  I should punish you in the name of the moon just for trying that."  The new laugh that was coming from her quickly changed into a yelp as a stream of tiny pink hearts finally found their target – her.  "Hey, knock it off!" complained Sailormoon as she batted at the hearts with her hands and backed away from them at the same time.

            This time it was Chibi-moon who laughed.  As Sailormoon turned and started running, Chibi-moon followed her, a few of her hearts managing to clip Usagi's retreating backside, making her jump.

            Luna bowed her head and sighed as Mars doubled over in laughter.  "Go get her, Chibi-moon!" called Mars in high glee.  "Don't let the evil clone daimon get away!"

            Mercury looked up from her conversation to see what all the commotion was.  She watched Sailormoon duck behind a tree, turn to stick her tongue out at Mars, then take off running again, still pursed by her pink attacker.  "Apparently," said Mercury to a curious Makoto, "Sailormoon has been abducted by the newest forces of evil and replaced with a clone daimon.  Chibi-moon is now attempting to vanquish that daimon."  Mercury chuckled at the response that got.  "It would seem Mars agrees with you.  However, Luna and Artemis look somewhat less than amused."

            The cats had left their spot on the rock and gone over to Venus.  Artemis got her attention and directed her away from the still laughing Mars so they could speak more privately.  Both cats looked sternly at Venus, but it was Artemis who spoke.  "You stand here as their leader, in the middle of a battle.  Your princess is being attacked, two of your Senshi have turned traitor, and the third is unduly distracted by personal matters.  You have lost all control of the situation.  What do you do?"

            Venus tapped her finger against her lip and rested one hand on her hip, looking as though she were giving this serious consideration.  Then she waved her hand in Mercury's 'unduly distracted' direction.  "Well, to begin with, that's your fault."

            "I beg your pardon?" asked Luna.

            Venus smiled at the cats and knelt down to them.  "There's a reason we never leave Mako-chan alone anymore, and that's it.  I told you one of you needed to stay at the apartment with her."

            "She said she would be perfectly fine by herself for a few hours," replied Luna, not about to admit she had already realized this on her own.

            Venus reached over to scratch the black cat's head.  "I know what she said.  I also know why she said it.  The two of you should already know that Mako-chan feels like she's letting the team down somehow just by not being able to transform.  Pulling someone out of practice just to keep her company would have made her feel like she was being even more of a burden."

            "That's why Ami didn't argue with her about it," added Artemis, realizing that particular detail for the first time.

            Venus nodded.  "That's my guess.  But Ami's extra worrying is the end result of it.  I can't really blame her, with Mako-chan due as soon as she is.  If this were a real battle, though, she'd be here 100%.  I'd stake all our lives on that."  She straightened up a bit and redirected her gaze to two others.  "Now, as for Sailormoon and Chibi-moon, just look at them."

            Luna and Artemis looked around Minako to the small battle that was waging.  Sailormoon had produced her Eternal Tier and was using it like a bat against the hearts Chibi-moon was trying to pummel her with.  The blonde wore a grin that was more amusement than annoyance as she egged the younger Moon on.  Chibi-moon laughed, the stream of hearts momentarily faltering.

            "Does she really look like she's in danger?" asked Venus quietly.  "Chibi-moon's attack may sting a bit when it hits bare skin, but that's about all it does.  They need to have some fun, we all do, and the practice she's getting using it on a moving target will do her good.  Besides, if Sailormoon really wanted to stop her, she could."  Then Venus' attention drifted to the last of her present Senshi, and a mischievous grin replaced her smile.  "On the other hand, you two might have been right about that traitor.  She should be dealt with."

            Venus stood and quietly called her Love Me Chain into existence.  That same mischief still on her features, she leveled the chain straight at Mars, catching the girl off guard.  Mars' laughter was abruptly stopped, but the amusement never left her smile.

            Venus walked slowly up to her captive, one end of her golden chain swinging lazily in her hand.  She circled around Mars, taking her time and eyeing the girl as if she were sizing up an opponent.  Her gaze lingered a bit along the smooth, perfect legs Mars' fuku showed off to good advantage, before moving up and locking on to the amused violet of Mars' eyes.

            "You've done a very bad thing, Mars," Venus chastised teasingly.  "I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you."

            Mars smirked.  "In the name of Venus?"

            With a very girlish giggle, Venus answered, "Of course."

            Mars, her arms pinned to her sides by the Love Me Chain, took a step closer to Venus so they were eye to eye with less than an inch of space between them.  Her voice low and hinting at the 'evil and dastardly' her love found so much amusement in, she said, "Then all I can do is ask that you please show some mercy on me, oh great leader.  I'll even beg for it, if you want me to."

            Finding himself not far enough away to miss the words or the waggle of Mars' eyebrows, Artemis shuddered and hid his head under his paws.  "I really wish I hadn't seen that," he mumbled.

            Luna let out another longsuffering sigh and put one paw to her head.  Things were definitely not going according to the plan.  All she needed now was for…

            "I hope we're not too late to join the party."

            Luna froze at the deep, cheery voice behind her.  A shadow fell over her, dimming the sunlight on the back of her closed eyelids.  And they were going to stay closed, too.  She didn't need to open them to see the half smirk on Uranus' face or the pretty little smile hidden behind Neptune's hand.  Saturn's giggles gave her away, and Pluto's observing silence might as well have been a solid thing.  No, thought Luna, she wasn't going to open her eyes to any of it.  Instead, she put her head down and covered it with her paws the same way Artemis had.  The universe could finish falling down around them just as well without her.


	28. Home

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Chapter 28:  Home

            The bristles of the broom scraped lightly along the path, playing chase with an errant piece of paper.  Minako laughed quietly at her little game as the broom finally captured the paper and brushed it off to the side with the other debris.

            It was a warm Thursday evening, and Minako was enjoying being outside, even though she'd been left to finish the remainder of the light work to close up the shrine.  Leaning against her broom, she let out a sigh and surveyed the front yard.  It looked pretty good, if she did say so herself, and this was a nice change of pace from the hecticness of work and school that followed her around during the week.  Not that she was complaining about any of it.  She was having too much fun to do that.

            "Hey now, no slacking off," came Rei's chiding voice from behind her.

            Minako stood straight and turned around, a smirk on her features.  "I could say the same to you.  You do know you have to use soap when you wash the dishes, right?"

            "Ha!  Those dishes are so clean they squeak," returned Rei with a smug grin.  She hefted the bag that was over her shoulder up a bit higher and added, "They're drying.  I'll put them away when I get back from Ami and Mako-chan's."

            Minako nodded, then asked, "What's in the bag?"

            Rei reached into her bag and pulled out a small oil burner and one of the little scented oil bottles they sold at the charm booth.  "Those classes we went to were all well and good, and they've got the right idea with the breathing and visualization, but their way is more likely to have Mako-chan hyperventilating than anything else.  So, now, I'm going to teach her how to do it the right way."

            With a smile, Minako teased, "How good of you to do that for her."

            Rei nodded.  "Yes, it is.  Besides, I'm hoping it'll work as a good distraction, since Ami said Mako-chan's been cranky as hell all afternoon.  Well, she didn't exactly use those words, but that's what she wanted to say.  But she did say Mako-chan has decided that if she has one more contraction that isn't actual labor between now and when she delivers, she's going to kill someone."

            "Poor Mako-chan," sympathized Minako with a chuckle.

            "More like poor Ami," replied Rei.  "If I didn't know her better, I'd swear this whole 'research' thing she has to do tonight is just an excuse to get away for a few hours."  Rei laughed and shook her head.  "But whatever the reason, it'll be one more thing she can cross off her list.  And I need to get going.  I'll see you in a few hours," she said as she stepped up to Minako and kissed her lips lightly.

            Minako waved as Rei walked away and disappeared down the stairs.  As she finished cleaning up, she wondered how late Artemis would be out tonight.  He'd seemed in an awful hurry when he'd left after dinner.  Her smile growing, Minako murmured to herself, "I guess even those two can't fight their destinies."

            The tap of footsteps on stone caught Minako's attention, and she turned around with a teasing grin on her face, ready to poke at Rei about whatever she'd forgotten.  The grin faded quickly, however, when she saw the man standing there.  Her hands gripping the broom handle tightly, she said in quiet surprise, "Daddy?"

            "Minako," he said by way of greeting.  He cleared his throat nervously and stuck his hands in the pockets of his slacks.  "How have you been?"

            "Okay," she answered faintly.  For a moment, her feet fidgeted, then she said more clearly, "I've been okay.  Everything's been going pretty well."

            "Good, good," her father replied, nodding his head.  "I'm glad to hear that.  You're still going to school?"

            "Yes, sir."

            "Good.  That's an important thing."  He took a breath.  "So... yes.  Well…"

            "I got a new job, too," blurted Minako quickly.  Her fingers twisted around the broom handle as she continued to speak at a rapid pace.  "It's at a production company, but I don't really do much other than copying stuff, and getting coffee, and I follow Colleen around a lot and help her with stuff.  Oh, and Tuesday I stayed late and got sandwiches for the last minute meeting that was going on.  But that's what I'm supposed to do, so it wasn't really a big deal, and if I stay late sometimes I leave early the next night, so it all evens out.  And my boss-boss is pretty nice, even if he can't remember my name and calls me 'New Girl' all the time.  Colleen's great, you'd probably like her.  She's American, but her stepdad is Japanese, and she's lived here since she was seven, so she's really more Japanese than American, and my English is better than hers."  Minako took a deep breath.  Her mouth opened to continue, but slowly closed again.  There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn't want to say the wrong thing, and there was so much that could be the wrong thing.

            The elder Aino listened and tried to keep up with his daughter as she spoke.  When she paused, he could feel an awkwardness settling over them.  He sighed and let his eyes close, letting the words fall from his lips before he had a chance to second guess them.  "I'm glad you're happy, Minako.  Really I am.  Adult or not, you're still my child, and I was concerned about you."  His eyes opened again, and he looked directly at her.  "But just because I love you doesn't mean I'll sit back and pretend to approve of all of what you're doing.  I do want you to have a good life, though, and I…"  He faltered for a moment, his hands balling into fists in his pockets.  He cleared his throat and looked down at his feet as the words rushed out.  "I would like to know that you're okay, and also when you're not.  So if you would tell me from time to time, I would appreciate it.  Though, if you need to call me, it would be best if you did at the office.  We both know how your mother is, and regardless of what she may be feeling…  Well, she just doesn't forgive easily."

            Minako stared at her father through tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes.  "Daddy, I…"

            "Do you still have your key?"

            The question was sudden and brought her father's nervous eyes back up to hers.  Minako hesitated, the question clear on her face.  "My house key?"  At her father's nod, she went on, "Yes, I still have it.  I suppose you want it back?"

            "No," he answered with a shake of his head.  "I just wanted to make sure you still had it.  I'm taking your mother out of town next weekend, and I thought you'd like to come by and pick up anything you might've left behind.  I know you couldn't have brought everything you'd want with you.  And it's all still in the awful state you left it in."

            "Um, yeah, I did leave some stuff," answered Minako.  "Thank you.  And, um, I'm sorry about the mess."

            They stood in silence for several seconds, neither exactly sure what to do or say.  Then, without any warning, Minako's father stepped forward and put his arms around her.  Minako stood against him, too shocked to move, as his arms tightened and then released her.  He took several steps further back than before and spoke hurriedly.

            "I have to leave," he said as he began to turn away.  "Your mother's expecting me, and I don't want to be too late."

            As he walked quickly away from the shrine, Minako could only stare after him, her hands never loosening their grip on the broom.

            When Rei got home a few hours later, she was greeted by her grandfather with the news of their earlier visitor.  Worried and more than a little angry and annoyed, Rei hurried around to her room, where she found Minako sitting on the porch outside.

            Quietly, Rei sat beside her and stared up at the same stars Minako's gaze was fixed on.  "Hey," she said softly.  "How are you doing?"

            Minako looked down at her hands and the keychain she was holding.  "My dad came to see me."

            "I heard," answered Rei.  She put her arm around Minako's shoulders and the blonde rested her head against her.  "What did he say?"

            Minako grinned a little.  "That he was worried about me and wanted to how I was.  And that he still loves me."

            Rei stiffened and had to force herself not to say the first things that popped into her mind.

            Feeling Rei's reaction, Minako set aside the keys and took Rei's hand.  She played with her fingers as she said, "I know how you feel about this, Rei, but please just let me have it.  I didn't think he'd ever speak to me again, and my mom probably won't.  He'll never approve of me, but he doesn't hate me either.  And I don't think he'll be angry forever.  That's all I want right now."

            Rei took a deep breath and nodded her head.  "I know, Mina, and I'm glad you've got at least that."

             Minako gave Rei's hand a squeeze in thanks, and then she asked, "So, how was Mako-chan?"

            With a smirk, Rei answered, "Pretty much exactly as Ami described.  She's ready for this to be over.  As if the next 20 years are going to be any easier."

            Minako smiled and snuggled closer to Rei's side.  For a while longer, they sat and talked, enjoying the warmth of each other and the clear night.

*            *            *

            The sound of pens scratching against test papers was the dominant one in the classroom.  Every now and then, it would be offset by a foot scuffling or a chair creaking as one of the students shifted.  Yukiko was used to these sounds and could easily ignore them as she graded the homework assignments her students had handed in that day.  What she was having a hard time ignoring, and what was making her crazy in the process, was the silent, almost constant fidgeting coming from what had once been her calmest, most focused pupil.

            Yukiko let out a sigh and turned over another paper.  When Kino had left, she had been so relieved she hadn't even minded Keiko's giggles at her expense.  The girl was gone and could now give birth properly in an elevator or taxi cab rather than in her classroom.  Because of that, Yukiko had walked into school last Monday completely relaxed for the first time since the start of the trimester.

            Then Mizuno had happened.

            Every midmorning and afternoon, Mizuno had taken to checking up on her girlfriend.  Keiko thought it was sweet and cute.  Yukiko figured she would have also if the afternoon call hadn't wound up during the break in the double period she had with Mizuno's class.  The girl almost seemed to expect something to be wrong when she called home, and her bearing near the end of their first period would reflect that.  Then, after she'd made her call and assured herself all was well, the relief she felt was palpable and showed in the small smile she wore for the rest of class.  Those swings in her behavior were making Yukiko jumpy as hell.  Especially today, because when she'd come back to class, Mizuno hadn't been smiling.

            Yukiko's foot tapped anxiously against her chair as her peripheral vision picked up Mizuno's movements.  The girl looked up from her test to the clock on the side wall.  She started chewing on her lip as she looked back down.  Her pen jittered nervously in her fingers as she looked back up and down again, as if more than 20 seconds had passed.  She sat up straighter and stared at her paper for a full 30 seconds before her pen went into her mouth and she looked back up at the clock.

            Without conscious effort, the red pen Yukiko was using wound up between her teeth and she bit down hard.  A foul, metallic taste filled her mouth and she grimaced, cursing silently.  Her pen fell to her desk as she barked out, "Mizuno!"

            Every head in the room immediately snapped up.  Ami sat frozen in her seat, her eyes wide as she stared at her teacher.  Finally, she managed to stutter out, "Yes, Kume-sensei?"

            After a deep, calming breath, Yukiko asked, "Are you done with your test?"

            Ami swallowed hard.  "Yes."

            "Are all of the questions answered fully to your satisfaction?"

            "Yes, sensei."

            "Then would you bring it up here, please?"

            Ami nodded and rose slowly from her seat.  She tried to ignore the stares of the other students and the embarrassed flush she felt in her cheeks.

            As Ami stopped in front of her desk, Yukiko looked around her and glared at the others who were still watching them.  "Since everyone's stopped writing, I'm going to assume the rest of you are done also."

            Every set of eyes snapped back down to their tests.  All except for one.  Yuu kept his head down and his pen against his paper, but his focus was on Mizuno's back and the quiet conversation going on in front of him.

            Yukiko focused back on the girl in front of her and the papers she was being handed.  Taking them, she leaned forward and gestured for Ami to do the same.  Ami looked a bit puzzled by this, but did as requested and leaned in over the desk.

            With her chin propped in her palm, Yukiko asked quietly, "You couldn't get a hold of her, right?"

            Ami's cheeks flushed a brighter pink and her eyes fell to some spot on the desktop.  "No, sensei," she answered in an equally quiet tone.

            Yukiko nodded slightly.  "And it's making you a little nuts, isn't it?"

            Ami shifted uncomfortably.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to be disruptive.  It's just, she isn't by herself, and it's odd that no one answered the phone.  I'm sorry."

            Lifting her head so she could wave her hand dismissively, Yukiko answered, "Don't look so concerned about it, Mizuno.  Are you sure you're done with this?"

            Ami nodded at the papers her teacher held up.

            "Then go," said Yukiko.  "Class is almost over, so make your call and reassure yourself.  Then come back and reassure me."

            Ami looked up and smiled thankfully at her teacher.  "Thank you," she said.

            Yukiko waved her off and sat back in her chair.  She slumped down a bit and let out another sigh as Mizuno retrieved her cell phone and hurried out of the room.  Yukiko didn't know how much longer she had until Kino delivered.   Keiko refused to tell her no matter how she tried to wheedle the information from her.  She just hoped it was soon, because she didn't think she could handle too many more missed phone calls.

            As had become her recent habit, Ami walked to the side door closest to her classroom.  Once outside, she pushed the speed dial button that would connect her to Makoto and held her phone to her ear, a concentrated frown appearing on her face as she listened to it ring.

            On the fourth ring, Makoto picked up.  "Hey, sweetheart," she said.  Then, knowing she'd missed their regular call and that this would have worried Ami, added, "I'm sorry I missed you last time.  I swear I'm okay, though, and that everything's fine."

            Ami let out a relieved breath at hearing Makoto's voice.  Just for a moment – well, perhaps more than just one – she'd been certain something had gone wrong.  "I'm glad you're okay," she said calmly and honestly.  "It's unusual that no one would answer when I call, though.  My imagination was beginning to conjure all sorts of terrible scenarios."

            "I'm sorry.  Really I am," answered Makoto, sounding contrite.  Then, with a smile creeping into her voice, "I'd ask what sort of scenarios you were conjuring, but I'm more curious about why you're calling me and not taking your AP test."

            Ami grinned a bit self-consciously as she answered, "I was being more outwardly nervous than I realized after I finished the test.  Rather than checking my answers, I'm afraid I was making Kume-sensei as jumpy as I was.  She kicked me out and told me to do what I needed to do to calm myself before coming back to class to reassure her there was nothing to be jumpy about."

            Makoto chuckled, pretty certain that if Ami had really been in trouble with the teacher, they wouldn't be speaking to each other right now.  "First I get you in trouble with your mother, and now I've gotten you kicked out of class.  I think I've been a bad influence."

            "Of course you have," answered Ami matter-of-factly, but with a smile.  "That's why I like you so much."  She listened to Makoto laugh at that, and then said, "Now it's your turn.  What were all of you doing when I called?"

            "We went for a walk," answered Makoto.  She shifted, and Ami heard the chair creak at the same time the school bell rang behind her.  "Bug's in a bad position or something," went on Makoto.  "I thought maybe if I walked around for a bit, I could jostle him enough to get this backache to go away.  So, we went around the block.  Only it took longer than I remember it taking, and when we got back, the message light on the machine was blinking."

            "Did it help at all," asked Ami, that niggle of concern sneaking back in.  "And don't tell me it did if it didn't, because I'll know you're lying and worry even more."

            "It helped," answered Makoto with no hesitation.  "I think part of the problem was me sitting in one spot for too long and not moving anything but my toes.  Luna and Artemis tried really hard to talk me out of going, though.  You'd have been proud."

            Ami smiled, a quiet laugh escaping.  "I'm sure.  What are you doing now?"

            "Right now, I'm sitting here in my nightshirt and trying to decide what level of laziness I'm going to achieve.  General Laziness," listed Makoto, and Ami was certain she was using her fingers to count off as she talked, "which is me crashing in bed with a book until you get home.  Super Laziness, which includes the rest of the mint chip in the freezer, the TV remote, and me crashing in bed until you get home.  Or Super Duper Laziness, which includes all of the above plus a nice soak in a moderately hot tub."

            "You're going to pick number three," said Ami sagely.

            "Good guess," replied Makoto with a laugh.  "And I guess, now that that's been settled, I should say goodbye and give you back to your teachers."

            "I suppose," answered Ami, nodding her head.

            "I love you, sweetie.  And don't worry about me so much.  I'm fine."

            "I know," said Ami, a warm smile spreading on her face.  "I'll see you when I get home.  I…"

            She had started to turn towards the door, preparing to end her call the way she always did.  Instead, she froze midsentence as her eyes locked on to those of the boy standing at the top of the steps.  She hadn't heard him come out at all, didn't have any idea how long he'd been there watching and listening.  Her heart sped up as her eyes held on to Yuu's, and quietly, her voice steady and firm, she said to Makoto, "I love you, too."

            Neither one of them blinked.  Ami's call ended, and she turned off her phone without ever once looking down or away.  Yuu didn't frown, or smile, or give any reaction at all to Ami's precise movements.  His face remained expressionless even as the smile Ami had worn swiftly turned to a line that wasn't quite a frown.  They stood like that for several long moments, neither moving or speaking, only staring at each other.

            She wasn't sure how much time had passed when Yuu broke eye contact by turning away from her.  His movements were easy and casual, one hand resting in his pocket as the other opened the door, as if he hadn't just stood there and pinned her with one of the most eerily intense stares she'd ever been subjected to.  Ami blinked a few times, not at all able to interpret what had just happened or what she had seen in those brown eyes.  The whole thing had just been… odd.

            Out of time, and not really wanting to think about it anymore, Ami walked back inside.  All she wanted now was to finish the day and go back home.

*            *            *

            Back in her nightshirt after a long soak in the tub, and with a pair of thick, fuzzy socks on her feet to keep her toes warm, Makoto was lying in bed when Ami came home.  Luna and Artemis heard the girl's footsteps before Makoto did, and Artemis lifted his head and blinked sleepily over Makoto's side as the bedroom door was opened.  Luna was already standing and stretching in the V formed by Makoto's knees when Ami walked in.

            "You all look rather comfortable," said Ami softly as she sat on the edge of the bed closest to Makoto.

            "We are," answered Makoto with a lazy grin.  "You should join us for a while.  We've got a few hours before Usagi gets here."

            Ami smiled at her and ran a finger lightly over the arm that held one pillow to Makoto's chest.  "That sounds like a good offer.  Let me take care of one thing first, and then I'll come back.  It won't take long."

            Makoto nodded, then reached for the hand against her arm and held it briefly to her lips.  "Okay," she answered as her fingers played with Ami's.

            Artemis, realizing he was going to be moved sooner rather than later, stood from his spot against Makoto's back and meandered down to the end of the bed.  He picked a new spot against the front of Makoto's legs and lay down next to Luna as Ami stood to leave.

            Sometime later, after the four of them had resettled and were lying comfortably in the dim, early evening light, they heard the front door open.  Usagi's voice drifted into the room, announcing her arrival with Chibi-usa.  The cats were the first up, and they jumped down from the foot of the bed to go and greet the newcomers.

            Ami's hand was warm against Makoto's back, and when its gentle movement didn't stop, Makoto sighed just a bit wistfully.  A half-smirk forming, she said, "I suppose we should get up now.  So you aren't late for class.  Not to mention it would be pretty rude to just ignore our guests."

            "Mmm," murmured Ami from behind Makoto, and without even having to look, Makoto knew a contemplative frown had appeared.   Then Ami said, "Perhaps I should stay home tonight."

            "Will you keep rubbing my back?" joked Makoto.

            Her tone sincere, Ami answered, "If that's what you want."

            Makoto shook her head and maneuvered onto her back so she could see Ami.  "I was kidding," she said with a kind smile.  "I don't want you missing school just because I have a few aches.  And as much as I would like to keep you here all to myself, what I want is for you to go to class and learn all sorts of really important stuff.  That way, you can get into the best med school on the planet, become a world famous doctor, and have everyone adore you as much as I do because you cured all sorts of terrible things like runny noses and chicken pox."

            A soft grin formed on Ami's lips, and she nodded slowly.  "All right.  I suppose everything will be okay here, with Chibi-usa around to keep all of you in line."

            Makoto huffed in amusement.  Then, as she moved to sit up on the side of the bed, she grimaced and said, "Well, things will be okay.  Once I get this task with Usagi over and done with.  I can't believe I'm about to do this after all the times I swore I never would."

            Ami's grin widened, and she answered, "It's not all that bad a thing, Mako-chan.  And you still refused to use the canned icing, so it isn't a complete compromise of your values."  The grin she wore turned to giggles at the affronted look Makoto shot her.

            "I'm glad you find this so amusing," returned Makoto, her glare only half serious.  "Just remember you think this isn't _so bad_ the next time you want chocolate and I pull out another box of cake mix instead of the real thing."

            Rei stood outside her bedroom door, rattling the car keys she'd just retrieved.  The downside to Minako's new job, she lamented silently, was the amount of time it took away from other things.  Things like the date they'd had planned for Saturday night.  However, her boss, bless his yen-pinching heart, preferred to give Minako her time back rather than pay her overtime.  So Saturday's date was rescheduled to tonight.

            Rei tossed the keys up and caught them in a tight grip.  "We're going to be late!" she called through the closed door.

            "It doesn't start till 7:30," came back an unhurried reply.

            She pursed her lips and tried again, shooting back, "We won't get good seats!"

            Minako opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.  "It's Monday night, Rei.  No one goes to the movies on Monday night."

            "We do," smirked Rei.

            Minako grinned and looped her arm through Rei's.  "We're special."

            Hotaru hurried ahead of Haruka, the small bag from the camera shop held tightly in one of her hands.  They had to pass the bakery on the way back to the car, and her papa had promised they'd stop in before they left for home.  All of their after dinner errands were done now, and Hotaru knew just what she wanted to take home for everyone's dessert.

            A few steps ahead of Haruka, Hotaru stopped on the sidewalk outside the bakery window to wait for her.  The cheese cake was sitting on display, a layer of cherries decorated with puffs of whipped cream covering its top.  Hotaru licked her lips in anticipation.

            A moment later, Haruka came up behind her.  Smiling over her daughter's head, she asked, "Are you sure that's what we should get?"

            Hotaru nodded enthusiastically.

            "All right.  Let's go," she said.  With Hotaru beside her, Haruka opened the door, and the scent of baking chocolate and other sweet things wafted over them as they went inside.

            She could hear Usagi over at the counter quietly counting the number of strokes as she stirred the chocolaty mixture in her bowl.  Beside her at the table, Chibi-usa carefully held the bottle of red food coloring over the icing she had mixed up and very slowly squeezed out the number of drops she'd been told would make pink.  Makoto grinned and finished placing the paper cups in the second cupcake pan.  This actually hadn't been so bad, after all.

            "Okay, Mako-chan, I'm done," called Usagi.

            "All right, next step," answered Makoto.  She stood slowly, her movements awkward as she found her balance.  Picking up the two cupcake pans, she walked the few feet to Usagi and set them on the counter.  "Fill each one evenly, up to here," she instructed.  "The pre-heat light's off, so after you do that, put them in the oven.  Don't forget to set the timer.  And then, when they're done, while we wait for them to cool, whatever's left over in the bowl is ours."

            Usagi mirrored the grin her tutor was wearing and followed her instructions.

            "Hey, Mako-chan," said Chibi-usa.  She pushed aside the bowl she was done with and looked over at the older girl as she asked, "Can we spend the night tonight?"

            Makoto leaned back against the counter and smiled at the girl.  "But it's a school night.  No sleepovers on school night's, I'm afraid."

            "You don't have to go to school, though," returned Chibi-usa.  "It won't hurt if we miss one day so someone can stay here with you."

            "Luna and Artemis will be here," answered Makoto.  "I think I can make do with them."

            "Please, Mako-chan.  We could give them the day off," continued the little girl.

            Usagi, after closing the oven door, decided to insert herself into the conversation by walking over to Chibi-usa and whapping her on the head with a potholder.  "Don't be a pest.  She already told you no."

            Chibi-usa cringed under the assault, then shot Usagi an indignant glare.  Standing on her chair so they were eye to eye, she said, "I know what she said.  But I want to stay, so I asked again.  That doesn't mean I was being a pest, and it doesn't mean you have to hit me for it."

            Usagi waved the potholder dismissively.  "That was hardly a hit.  Besides, you _were being a pest."  She waved the potholder over in Makoto's direction.  "See, look, she's in pain just from having to list… en…  Um… Mako-chan?  Are you okay?"_

            Usagi's voice quieted quickly as her eyes widened in surprise and concern.  Makoto's eyes were squeezed shut and her lips were pressed into a pale, thin line.  One of her hands gripped the edge of the counter to the point her knuckles were turning white, while the other arm held her middle.  The small whimper that escaped as she tried to suck in a breath pushed Usagi passed her initial second of confused panic, and the blonde hurried to her friend's side.

            She knew Usagi was beside her, and that it was her hands on her shoulder and stroking her arm.  Makoto also knew what was happening, regardless of the fact that she'd been told just two days ago that she wouldn't deliver for at least another week.  She was shaking her head, some part of her still trying to deny it, even as the words passed her lips.  "That was a real one."

            "A real what?" questioned Usagi uncertainly, not quite ready to accept the inevitable.

            Makoto turned her head to look at Usagi and said, "A contraction.  They've been a little more regular, but I didn't think…  I'm in labor."

            Usagi let out a nervous laugh and began to shake her head.  "No, that can't be right.  It's the 5th.  You're not due until the 14th," she said logically.  "So that can't be what it is.  What'd you have for dinner?"

            Makoto stared at her in disbelief.  "Usagi, that was not my dinner."

            "Well, it has to be something," argued the blonde.  She looked down at Chibi-usa, who now stood halfway between them and the chair she'd been on.  "It's something else, right?"

            The little girl bit her lip and looked down, not answering.

            "Chibi-usa," said Makoto calmly.  "Answer her, please."

            Chibi-usa dug her toe into the floor as she said softly, "Tomorrow."

            Makoto paled at that word and its implications.  "What time tomorrow?"

            Chibi-usa shrugged her shoulders.  "I don't know.  But it doesn't happen until tomorrow."

            Usagi continued to shake her head.  "Un un, no.  It's too soon.  Ami has a plan and everything, and none of it starts until Friday.  Besides, she said it wouldn't happen until the 17th, and Ami is _never wrong."_

            "Well, she is this time!" bit out Makoto as another contraction tore through her.

            Usagi may have been in deep denial, but she stayed beside Makoto, talking to her and trying to get her to breathe through it, just the way they'd been taught.  When it passed, Makoto opened her eyes.  Her breathing was hard, but she still managed to get out a command for Usagi.  "Call Ami.  Now."

            The noise had no real directionality.  At least, to Rei it didn't.  If it hadn't been for the very distinctive ring tone, she would have been glad to be annoyed with the couple two rows ahead of them for leaving their cell phones on.  Instead, as the sound of Sailor V finishing off one of her enemies emanated from Minako's sweater pocket, she sunk down in her seat and tried to pretend it wasn't them.

            "You know, you're supposed to turn that off before the movie starts," muttered Rei as Minako finally pulled the phone from her pocket.

            Seemingly oblivious to the death stares they were getting from the group on their right, Minako whispered back, "I usually do.  Guess it's a good thing I forgot to this time, huh?"  She hit the answer button on the phone, but before she could even say hello, Usagi's panicked voice came roaring through.

            "I know you're on a date, and I'm sorry, but she's in labor, and I can't get a hold of Ami!" rambled out Usagi at a rapid fire pace.  "She's in class, so Luna won't let me use the communicators, but she won't answer her phone, and Luna told me to call you instead since I couldn't get her, and…  Help!"

            They'd left their seats among the annoyed grumbles of the other moviegoers as soon as they heard Usagi's voice.  They were halfway through the lobby when that last plea made Minako reflexively pull the phone from her ear to save her hearing.

            "We're closer to Ami than Mako-chan," thought Rei out loud.  "Get her, then go to the apartment?"

            Minako nodded, then said into the phone, "Try and stay calm, Usagi.  It won't take us long to get there.  Can she wait long enough for us to pick up Ami first?"

            Usagi started to answer, but was cut off by someone shouting something to her from across the apartment.  Minako couldn't make out what was said, though she did think she heard the words 'damn' and 'water', but Usagi's answer came through loud and clear.

            "What do you mean it broke?" called back Usagi.  "Well then, fix it!"

            Minako took a deep breath and looked at Rei.  "I think we're going to need a plan B."

            Hotaru watched from the passenger seat as Haruka clicked open her cell phone with a practiced ease.

            "Hi, Michiru," answered the blonde.  "You've got great timing.  Any later and you would have missed us.  We just passed Sagawa's and should be home in about 15 minutes."

            "What does she want us to get?" asked Hotaru curiously.

            Haruka shrugged one shoulder, then said into the phone, "Why do I have to pull over?  I can drive and talk at the same time.  Just tell me what it is you want me to pick up."  Haruka sighed and paused for several seconds, blowing air through her lips.  As they stopped at a red light, she went on, "Okay, I pulled over.  What?  Why?"

            Hotaru raised her eyebrows, wondering what was being said on the other end.  Then she began to giggle as Haruka frowned and handed her the phone.

            "Your mother wants to talk to you."

            Still grinning, Hotaru took the phone.  "Hi, Michiru-mama.  Well, we were stopped, but the light changed and we're starting to drive again.  Okay."  Hotaru held the phone away from her and looked up at Haruka.  "Michiru-mama says she's glad you like the couch so much since that's where you're going to be sleeping for the next month."

            Haruka rolled her eyes and finally gave in.  Muttering her annoyance under her breath, she flipped on her turn signal and pulled out of traffic.  When the car was safely parked on the side, Hotaru gave back the phone.  "Okay," said Haruka, "I really did pull over this time.  Now will you tell me what it is you couldn't tell me while I was driving?"

            It all happened rather quickly after that.  Hotaru watched as her papa's eyes went wide and her hand clenched tight around the steering wheel.  After a rushed, "Are you sure?" and "We'll meet you there," her papa tumbled the phone at her without fully closing it and threw the car into gear.  Hotaru didn't have time to check and see if anything was coming at them before Haruka made an illegal U-turn across four lanes of traffic.  However, the screeching of tires and blaring of horns let her know that, yes, there had indeed been traffic heading at them.  She gripped her seat and closed her eyes, because while she had absolute confidence in her papa's driving skills, Hotaru wasn't quite so trusting of the rest of Tokyo.

            After several seconds, Hotaru opened her eyes.  There were no flashing lights or sirens chasing them down, and even though they were passing the other drivers at a rate Haruka generally saved for the race track, Hotaru felt secure enough to ask a few questions.  "What's happening?  Where are we meeting Michiru-mama?"

            "At the hospital," answered Haruka, never taking her eyes off the road.  "After we pick up Mako-chan.  Looks like that kid of hers decided to make his appearance a little early."

            "She's having the baby?" said Hotaru, instantly perking up.  "Now?"

            "Yep," replied Haruka right before she slammed her hand against her horn to get the guy driving his Mercedes at the speed limit out of the passing lane.  

            Sinking into her seat a bit, Hotaru left Haruka alone so she could concentrate on the course ahead of her and reached for the cell phone that had fallen at her feet.  "We were supposed to have another day," she muttered under her breath as she dialed quickly and fidgeted until Michiru answered.  "It's me.  I'm glad you didn't leave yet.  No, we're still in the car, but we should be there soon.  I just need you to get my bag for me.  It's got my cameras and everything in it.  No, it's by my bed.  Just bring it with you, please.  Okay.  Thank you.  Bye."

            Hotaru closed the phone and held it securely in her lap.  It was a good thing she had listened all the times Setsuna-mama told her about being ready early and not waiting until the last minute to finish things.  If she'd waited to pack until she got home tonight, she would have missed everything.

            The class was entering its second hour, and Ami supposed she couldn't blame the other students in the lecture hall for feeling a little restless.  A boy down on the left yawned and stretched when the professor turned his back to add more notes to the board.  Behind her, she could hear the quiet shifting of feet and bodies and whispers of what she thought might be apologies for stepping on a foot or nudging an arm.

            She pulled her bag a little closer, allowing an extra few seconds to glance at the phone clipped to the outside of it.  It was still on and with a full battery, but the nonexistent signal bar bothered her.  Granted, it had worked perfectly well when she'd called home earlier, even though the phone wasn't registering any signal, so she had no reason whatsoever to worry.  She reminded herself of that one more time, and looked back towards the front.

            Ami had just given her attention back to the professor when she heard the hushed voices behind her.  She tuned it out the way she always did with such distractions, until a finger tapped her shoulder.  Mildly annoyed, she turned around, then leaned back closer when the girl indicated she should.

            Leaning down as best she could to whisper, the girl continued the chain that had started at the top of the hall.  "Red peanuts roll down matched bugs car Ali is bored says hi and Mako-chan's in labor."  The girl nodded and grinned, quiet pleased with herself for being able to remember the whole convoluted thing.  Then her eyebrows knit together in confusion over why Mizuno had suddenly gone so pale.

            Ami looked around the girl and up at the back of the lecture hall frantically.  Her eyes finally landed on Minako in the last row, and the blonde waved at her.  Ami stood quickly, knocking her papers to the floor as she did, and said in a rush, "But she isn't due for another week!"

            The entire class stopped and stared, but Ami didn't even notice.  The professor was the one who got her attention away from Minako.  "Is there a problem?"

            "Yes," answered Ami bluntly before turning back to Minako for further information.

            "Family emergency," picked up Minako.  "We need to take Ami home with us."

            "Fine, fine," said the professor.  "Just get your things and go, Mizuno."

            Ami nodded and quickly grabbed her things, shoving them haphazardly into her bag.  She practically ran to the top of the stairs, oblivious to the whispers that followed her.  As they were hurrying to the car Rei had double parked and idling, Ami asked, "Is she okay?  What happened, and why didn't anyone call me?  Or is it so bad that you had to get me in person?"

            "She's fine," reassured Minako.  "Usagi tried to call you, but couldn't get through, so she called us instead.  Haruka's getting them, and we're all going to meet at the hospital.  We've got everything covered, Ami.  It's all going to be all right."

            Ami shook her head as they climbed into the back seat of the car.  "I should have been there.  I knew I shouldn't leave her tonight, and I should have stayed home, no matter what she told me."

            Minako put her hand on Ami's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.  "It's okay, Ami.  You made sure she wasn't alone when you couldn't be there, and no one expected anything to happen this soon, anyway."  She grinned, then said in a more teasing tone, "Not even born yet, and he's already surprising you and making all of us crazy.  Just imagine what it's going to be like after he gets here."

            Ami smiled at her.  "Thank you," she said softly.  Then she and Minako both looked down as Ami's phone started to beep.  She pulled it up and frowned at the full signal bar and the little voicemail icon with a number beside it.  "Five?"

            "You know what?" said Minako slowly as she reached over and extricated the phone from Ami's grip.  "I bet all of those are from Usagi.  So how about you just let me handle checking them for you?"

            "Why?" asked Ami, some paranoia creeping back in.  "What aren't you telling me?"

            "Nothing," answered Rei quickly.  "It's just that Usagi started to panic when she couldn't reach you.  And I think by the time she got us, she was more panicked than you really need to hear right now."

            "You're not telling me something," repeated Ami.  "Is she really okay?"

            "She's fine," answered Minako.  "We wouldn't lie to you about that.  But…"  Her eyes met Rei's in the rearview mirror, and the miko shrugged.  "It's nothing bad," went on Minako.  "It's just that, when Usagi was on the phone with us, Mako-chan's water broke."

            Ami sunk back against the car seat.  "Already?" she said quietly.  "All of that happened already, and I wasn't there.  I wanted to be with her."

            "You will be," replied Rei.  "Just like you've always been.  You'll be there so she can hold your hand and curse at you between contractions.  And you'll be there when your son is born.  That's the important part."

            Ami nodded, the disappointment still there, but understanding the truth in Rei's words.  "How much longer until we get there?"

            "Twenty minutes if we don't hit traffic," answered Rei.  "Thirty if we do.  We'll get you there in plenty of time, Ami.  Don't worry."

            Ami tried to relax and not think too hard about it.  She felt Minako's hand cover hers, and realized then how rapidly her foot was tapping against the floor.  Last time, she thought suddenly, it had been Usagi holding her hand, and the anxiety she felt had been tainted with fear.  She was still nervous and anxious, but this time it wasn't because of the fear.  Ami closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a smile slowly beginning to form on her lips.

            The door to her office always creaked slightly when it was opened slowly.  Some part of Kaya's tired mind registered the sound, but the familiarity of it relegated it to being ignored.  Her eyes never opened, and she turned a bit more onto her side as she dozed comfortably on the couch.

            Ken walked quietly through the dimly lit room, the only light coming from the small desk lamp Kaya was using as a nightlight.  He knelt beside the couch and smiled down at her before running the backs of his fingers lightly across her cheek.

            Kaya woke enough to open her eyes a slit and do a quick survey of her surroundings.  Hospital office, no lights, no nurses or beepers.  No emergencies that needed her immediate attention.  And Ken.  She smile sleepily and raised a hand to pat his cheek.  "Later," she rasped out.  "Too tired now.  Need sleep.  And you shave."  With that pronouncement, her hand dropped back down and she rolled over onto her other side.

            Chuckling softly, Ken crossed his arms over his chest.  "You are a stubborn one sometimes, aren't you?" he said to her back.  "Well, I'm willing to wait, but I'm not sure your grandson is."

            That penetrated the haze Kaya had been resting in, and she quickly turned back over.  "What does that mean?"

            "It means," answered Ken, "that Makoto's on her way in.  I just got the call from my service."

            Kaya sat up quickly and reached for the lamp beside the couch.  "But she isn't due for more than a week, and Ami seemed to fully expect her to go over her due date.  Is it still Monday?" she asked, reaching for Ken's wrist and pulling it closer to squint at his watch.  "Ami has class tonight.  Are they together?"

            "I don't know," answered Ken.  He stood and pulled her up with him.  "The message only said that her water broke while she was at home, and that she was on her way to the hospital."

            "What a mess," sighed Kaya.  "I hope Ami was with her.  They haven't tried to call me at all, but they knew I was here, so they wouldn't have to.  She had an appointment with you over the weekend, didn't she?"

            Ken nodded.  "She's in perfect health.  There weren't any indications that she'd go into labor just yet, but I don't expect any problems."

            "Okay then," responded Kaya, rubbing her hands together and looking for all the world to Ken like she was about to start pacing the room.  "First thing to do is get down to Labor and Delivery.  Make sure they know just who it is they've got coming in."

            "Throwing your weight around a bit, Mizuno-sensei?" teased Ken with a wide grin.

            Kaya gave him a high class smirk in return.  "Some people around here believe that just because I can garner a certain amount of respect and admiration from my peers that I have the same amount of clout to balance it out.  I have the reputation, so I might as well use it.  And what better way to use it than for my daughter?"

            The car turned into the parking lot and pulled to a stop as close to Makoto's stairs as Haruka could get without actually parking on the lawn.  Hotaru had her door open before the keys had even been taken from the ignition.  Wanting to keep up with her papa's pace, she sprinted for the stairs.  When she wasn't overtaken by the fourth or fifth step, Hotaru stopped and turned around to see what was taking Haruka so long.  She stared in confusion as Haruka paused at the back of the car and opened the trunk.

            Haruka leaned into the trunk and moved a few things aside.  Successful in her search, she straightened up and held in front of her the rubber mat she kept in case she needed to change a tire or get under the car while away from home.  The grey material was a bit spongy, kind of like the bathmat in their tub, only sturdier.  Having only been used once, it was still perfectly clean and would serve Haruka's purpose just fine.

            After closing the trunk, she moved around to the passenger side of the car.  Haruka knelt down and carefully laid the mat across the seat, tucking in the sides as best she could.  Taking a step back to survey her work, she nodded in approval and then gave the seat a gentle pat before closing the door.  That detail taken care of, she ran over to the steps and passed a still confused Hotaru.

            "Aren't you coming?" asked Haruka over her shoulder as she took the steps two at a time.

            Hotaru shrugged at her papa's retreating back, realizing there were some things she was better off not asking about.  Then she hurried up the stairs after her.

            Haruka didn't have any idea what to expect when she opened the door, but she had been expecting something just a bit more… chaotic.  Instead, Makoto was sitting in one of the dining room chairs, her eyes closed as she tried to keep her breathing even.  Usagi was beside her, holding her hand and looking like she was in more pain than Makoto.  Luna was on the table behind them, while Artemis had taken up position further away on the back of the couch.

            Hotaru edged passed Haruka, who had stopped in the doorway, and hurried over to Makoto and Usagi.  When Makoto opened her eyes again, Hotaru smiled at her.

            "Hey there," said Makoto after a few breaths.  "Thanks for coming.  I was wondering when you would get here, and that was pretty quick."

            "We hurried," said Hotaru.  "Are you still okay?"

            "Yeah," answered Makoto.  "As okay as I'm going to be for awhile, anyway."

            "Do you have everything?" asked Haruka, coming further into the apartment.

            "Almost," said Usagi.  She rubbed her hand, trying not to be too obvious about it.  "Chibi-usa's getting the last thing."

            Right then, the little girl appeared from the hallway.  "This is it, right, Mako-chan?"

            Makoto nodded at the little cow Chibi-usa held.  "That's it.  Just put her in the pocket on the side of my bag.  We thought Suu would make a good focal point," explained Makoto at Haruka's questioning look.

            "Whatever works for you, Mako-chan," replied Haruka.  She offered a hand and helped Makoto slowly to her feet.  "Ready now?"

            Makoto gave her a weak grin.  "I think so."  Then she looked down at the cats, who were already moving towards the door.  "I promise not to keep you in Usagi's backpack for long.  As soon as we get a room, we'll find someplace for you to stay."

            "Don't worry about it," said Artemis.  "We've gotten used to these sorts of travel accommodations."

            "Besides, we don't have to get in until we're at the hospital.  So it won't be so bad," added Luna.

            "Okay.  It looks like we've got everything, and Ami's meeting us there," said Makoto.  "Let's get going."

            Everyone agreed except for Haruka.  A concerned look suddenly crossed her face, and she asked, "Do you smell that?  Is something burning?"

            "The cupcakes," murmured Makoto, suddenly remembering what they'd been doing before they'd all been severely sidetracked.

            "Oh no!" yelped Usagi at the same time.  She dropped her bag and made a dash for the kitchen.  "I forgot to set the timer!"

            By this point, Ami had reached an entirely new level of frustration and anxiousness, and all her friends could do was stand there and watch as she vented some of it at the young nurse in the maternity ward.  "What do you mean there's no one here by that name?!  She has to be here!  There isn't anyplace else they would take her."

            The three of them had made it to the hospital without any problems and fully expected everyone to be there when they arrived.  Instead, they'd found an empty hallway and a proverbial brick wall.

            "Check again, please," went on Ami as her hands gripped the counter around the nurses' station.  "Her name is Kino.  K-I-N-O."

            The nurse, who's ID read Shiana, smiled up at Ami and spoke calmly in an attempt to dispel some of the desperateness she could hear.  "We don't have anyone checked in by that name, sweetheart.  You've probably just beaten her here, if this is where they were bringing her.  Tell you what, though.  I'll call downstairs and double check, just in case someone down there has seen her or heard something.  Okay?"

            Ami nodded and thanked her, relaxing and backing off a bit.

            "What's going on?"

            The voice of one of her coworkers caught Shiana's attention just as she picked up the phone.  She looked over at the woman who had walked up behind her and answered, "We're trying to find a patient.  I'm calling downstairs to make sure she isn't here yet."

            The new arrival nodded as she picked up some paperwork.  "Who are we looking for?"

            "Kino Makoto."

            Surprised green eyes looked away from the papers they'd been scanning.  "Mizuno-sensei's Kino Makoto?"

            Shiana looked at her questioningly as Ami quickly answered, "Yes.  She is here, then?"

            The nurse shook her head, "No, I'm afraid not.  But Mizuno-sensei wanted us to let her know when she and her daughter got here."

            "I'm her daughter."

            The nurse smiled at her.  "It's good to meet you.  Kino-san isn't here yet, I promise you.  Why don't you and your friends have a seat over there for a few minutes, and we'll give your mother a call.  Maybe when she gets up here, your friend will have gotten here also."

            "All right, and thank you," said Ami before moving back to Rei and Minako.

            As the girls went over to the chairs across from the nurses' station, Shiana looked up at her friend and asked quietly, "How did you know who she was?"

            The other nurse grinned.  "That's what you get for being on break when important people come for a visit."

            Once she got the call, it only took Kaya a few minutes to get herself together and down to where Ami was waiting.  The worry and excitement over it all were already there, carried quietly inside her and hidden from most of the people who saw her, but when she saw Ami for the first time that night, the true significance of the moment struck her.  Her steps slowed as she remembered with perfect clarity how it had felt to hold her daughter for the first time and see her own eyes staring up her from a tiny, scrunched up face.  Every other moment in her life paled in comparison to that one, and she was almost as overwhelmed by the idea that tonight it would be Ami in that position as she had been all those years ago when it was she herself.

            "Mom!"

            Ami's voice and the suddenness with which she approached snapped Kaya out of her memories.  As Ami's arms wrapped around her waist in a tight hug, Kaya smiled.  Returning the hug, she asked calmly, "You were in class, weren't you?"  When Ami nodded, she went on, "I was afraid that had happened.  How's Makoto getting here?"

            Ami pulled back from her mother and, with some help from Rei and Minako, explained everything up to the present point.

            "We seem to be missing some key people," said a voice from behind them.

            Everyone looked over as Michiru and Setsuna arrived.

            Michiru, who's words had gotten their attention, smiled kindly at Ami.  "How are you?"

            Ami took a deep breath, then answered, "I'll be much better once Mako-chan gets here."

            "I'm sure they aren't too far away," said Michiru.

            A wide smile formed on Minako's face.  "Actually, she's a whole lot closer than you think."

            Following Minako's line of vision, Ami looked over into the hallway and immediately forgot everyone else around her as she hurried to meet the ones heading towards them.  Haruka stopped the wheelchair and grinned down at them as Ami reached for Makoto.  One hand found Makoto's as the other first went to Makoto's bangs and carefully brushed them away from her eyes before moving to gently stoke her cheek.

            Clearly relieved, Ami let out a sigh.  "How are you doing so far?  How much time between contractions?"

            Unconsciously flexing her fingers around Ami's, Makoto answered, "I'm okay, I think.  There were a few that were really close together, but most have been about four or five minutes apart."  Makoto stopped and grinned at Usagi.  "Truthfully though, I think so far, she's having a worse night than I am."

            For the first time, Ami really took notice of the people standing around her.  Holding Makoto's bag, Hotaru stood beside Haruka, who still had her hands on the wheelchair's handles, ready to take them wherever they needed to go.  Chibi-usa was standing closer to Usagi, who wore a sheepish expression on her face and was holding her backpack at an odd angle behind her back.

            "It was dark and I couldn't see it," stated Usagi before Ami could ask.  "I didn't know it was there."

            "She sat on a cheesecake," explained Chibi-usa.  "Splat!  Right down in the middle of it."

            "My poor, genuine leather car seat," lamented Haruka piteously.

            "I really am sorry," said Usagi as she turned pitiful blue eyes onto her senshi.

            Haruka closed her eyes and sighed.  "Don't worry about it, Odango.  It's easily enough fixed."

            "Excuse me," interrupted a nurse.  She smiled pleasantly at them.  "There's some paperwork that needs to be filled out.  If someone doesn't mind taking care of it, we can take her to get settled in."  Several heads nodded as the nurse turned to Haruka, ready to hand over the clipboard she was holding.  "Would you be the father?"

            Caught off guard by that, Haruka hesitated in answering.  Amid the quiet giggles and snickers coming from her child and friends, she opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Usagi.

            "No, no, no," laughed Usagi.  "Haruka's…"

            "Just a very good friend," inserted a mischievously grinning Michiru, stepping up and placing a hand on Haruka's arm.

            "Oh," answered the nurse.  She looked around for any other suitable candidates.  "Well then…"

            "Here, we'll do it," offered Rei.  "You guys go and do what you need to."

            Ami and Makoto thanked her, and then Ami took the bag Hotaru was holding.  Usagi reluctantly gave up her backpack to Makoto just before Haruka wheeled her away, following after the nurse and Ami's mother.

            When they were out of sight, Rei circled around behind Usagi.  She shook her head at the cheesecake-colored stain on the back of Usagi's skirt and 'tsked' a few times.

            Usagi sighed.  "Yeah, I know.  I burned the cupcakes, too.  But at least we got here."

            Rei chuckled and folded her arms, holding the clipboard to her chest as she did.  "Are you going to need a change of clothes?  I'm sure we've got enough time.  I can run you home if you want."

            Usagi looked at her in surprise.  "You're not going to tease me?"

            Rei shook her head.  "Not tonight, Usagi.  I think you've been traumatized enough."

            Usagi smiled hugely and, on pure impulse, threw her arms around Rei.

            Rei made a sound that was close to a surprised squawk as the clipboard was crushed between them.  "Okay, okay," she said after a few seconds and an amused chuff.  "Enough.  Do you need clothes or not?"

            Letting her go, Usagi shook her head.  "Haruka let me call home while we were in the car.  Mama's going to bring me some.  Besides, I needed to let her know what was going on and to make sure she would let both of us stay."

             "Is she going to?"

            "Yes.  She thinks this will be a good experience, and as long as Mako-chan doesn't mind, she doesn't either."  Then Usagi frowned as she remembered the rest of that conversation.  "She also told me to pay close attention to what was happening, because she had to go through that for 17 ½ hours with me and 15 with Shingo.  Then she reminded me that long labors run in the family.  Have I mentioned lately that I want to be unconscious?  Cause I really don't think anyone's taking me seriously when I say that."

            Rei laughed and clapped a hand on Usagi's shoulder.  "Don't worry, Usagi.  Even if we do forget, I'm sure you'll find lots of ways to remind us."

            Hotaru giggled to herself as she passed by and overheard them.  After some of the things she'd heard coming from Makoto on the drive over, she wondered just how Usagi would choose to remind them when the time came.  And if it would be as varied and colorful as Makoto's.

            "Did you bring it?" asked Hotaru when she stopped in front of her mothers.

            Setsuna held out the small, purple duffle bag that very obviously held more than just Hotaru's cameras.  Before allowing the child to take it, she said quietly, "I'm certain Makoto will want pictures of the baby after he's born, but, for right now, I want you to respect her privacy and leave her be.  And when all of this is over, you, Chibi-usa, and I are going to sit down and have a long discussion about the merits of discretion, keeping secrets, and preserving the timeline."

            "Yes, Setsuna-mama," answered Hotaru contritely as she took the bag.  Her contriteness was short lived, however, as she and Chibi-usa led the charge to the waiting area, where everyone began to settle in for the long haul.

            Suu, CD's, snack bag, stopwatch to time the contractions…  Ami held up the stopwatch and gave the buttons a few quick, experimental clicks before setting it aside and pulling out Makoto's dark green nightshirt.  They were alone in the room now, save for Artemis and Luna, who were making themselves scarce by hiding out in the bathroom.

            "Here we go," said Ami as she slung the nightshirt over her arm and reached for Makoto.  "Can you stand up for a few minuets?  That would make this easier."

            Makoto smiled at her from where she sat on the edge of the bed.  "I can stand.  I could have walked up here if Haruka would have let me."  But rather than move, she took Ami's hand and held it loosely in hers, watching intently as she twined their fingers.

            Able to feel the slight tremble in Makoto's hands, Ami laid the nightshirt on the bed.  Her free arm wrapped around Makoto's shoulders and gently pulled the girl to her.

            Makoto let go of Ami's hand and circled her arms around her waist, resting her head against Ami's chest.  "I'm never going to make you go to school ever again," she said around a deep sigh.  "Everything just happened so fast, and then I wanted Usagi to call you, but she couldn't.  And we almost burned down the apartment."  She paused for a moment, enjoying the comforting feel of Ami's hand stroking her back.  Then she said very quietly, "Chibi-usa said tomorrow.  I think we're going to be here for awhile.  A really long while."

            She was trying not to let it show, but Ami could hear the faint fear and uncertainty in Makoto's words.  She bent down to place a kiss on the top of Makoto's head, then moved her back so she could see her eyes.  "You can do this, Mako-chan.  And I'll be with you the whole time."

            Makoto smiled at her.  "I'm glad you're here.  I could never want anyone with me more than I do you."

            Ami smiled back and ran a finger slowly down Makoto's cheek.  "How about we get you changed now?  Saatchi-san should be here in a few minutes.  We'll be all ready by then."

            Rei stretched her arms out behind her as she walked back to the waiting area.  At just passed midnight, everyone was still awake and holding on, but some of them just barely.  Chibi-usa, Hotaru, and Usagi were on the floor together, juice boxes and coloring books on the table in front of them.  Or, in Hotaru's case, under her.

            The little girl looked up at Rei from where her head was resting on her folded arms.  "How much longer?" she asked.

            "They're guessing maybe four or five more hours."

            Hotaru nodded at the answer, then abandoned her coloring book in favor of Setsuna's lap.  The older woman set down the magazine she'd been looking through and adjusted them until they were both comfortable.

            "Are we switching again?" asked Usagi.  "I think it's my turn to stay with them this time."

            Rei nodded.  "But she wants to move around a little.  She said she's too uncomfortable just lying there for too long."

            "That means it's my turn," said Haruka.  She grinned down at Michiru, who's head was resting against her shoulder.

            Michiru grinned back, then hid a yawn behind one hand as she sat up.  "I'll be here when you get back."

            "Where's Minako?" asked Rei after Haruka had left.

            "She said she wanted to walk around for awhile after we let Luna and Artemis outside," answered Usagi.  "I left her down by the nursery."

            Rei nodded and went off in search of Minako.  She found her a few minutes later still standing in front of the nursery window.  "Whatcha been doing?" she asked as she stepped up and stood beside her.

            Minako grinned and answered quietly in deference to the stillness around them, "Window shopping."

            Rei chuckled softly.  "Really?"

            "Mm hm.  I want that one," said Minako, pointing to a bundle of pink.  "She's so cute.  She can't be more than a day old, and look at all those curls.  She keeps scrunching up her face like she wants to cry, but then changes her mind, and she's so tiny."

            Putting an arm around Minako's shoulders, Rei replied, "I told you before, Mina, babies aren't like kittens.  You can't just walk up to a window, pick out a cute one, and then bring it home like a stray.  Besides, I don't think her mom would like that very much."

            Minako smiled at Rei's teasing and leaned in a little closer.  They were alone in the corridor, the lights muted because of the hour.  The stillness of everything made the movement of the reflection in the glass stand out even more, and out of reflex, her eyes glanced over in the newcomer's direction.  An uncharacteristically deep frown formed when she recognized who it was standing at the other end of the glass.  "What's he doing here?" she asked, pulling Rei's attention to him.

            Rei mirrored Minako's frown when she saw Yuu standing there, his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he tentatively edged closer to the nursery window.  He wasn't looking towards them, but Rei didn't particularly care if he was ignoring them or just hadn't noticed them yet.  Dropping her arm from Minako's shoulders, she walked over to him.  With her arms folded over her chest, she fixed him with the most intimidating stare she could and demanded to know what he was doing there how he'd even known to come here to begin with.

            Yuu seemed startled by Rei's sudden nearness.  Minako watched him take a few reflexive steps back as she caught up to Rei.  Part of it, Minako guessed, was that he didn't recognize Rei right away.  But when she came up behind her, he finally put it all together.  Yuu pulled himself to his full height, which seemed to her to be just an inch or two taller than Makoto, and tried to match Rei's stare.

            "It's none of your business why I'm here," he returned defiantly.  "And you shouldn't even have to ask how I know.  Half of Mizuno's cram class goes to our school.  By tomorrow, everyone's going to know."

            "It doesn't matter who knows or how," said Minako.  "But Makoto and Ami are our family.  That makes all of this our business.  And it has nothing to do with you."

            "Look," said Yuu, becoming more defensive, "I just had some morbid curiosity about what was going on.  A friend's sister said Mizuno had lost it completely, and she's been acting weirder than usual lately.  It's got nothing to do with you, or them, or anything else.  I just wondered if Kino'd had it yet…"  His words began to drift with his eyes as they turned back towards the window, only to be cut off as Rei placed herself deliberately between him and the glass.

            Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Yuu began to back away from them.  "You know what," he said angrily, "I don't care.  Kino and the rest of you be damned.  This isn't my problem."  With that, he turned and walked quickly away.

            "Jerk," muttered Rei to his retreating back.

            Several moments passed in silence before Minako finally asked, "What do you think that was all about?"

            Rei shook her head.  "I don't have a clue."

            "We should tell Ami."

            "No," said Rei.  She saw the question in Minako's eyes and explained further, "We certainly can't tell her now, and saying anything later would be pointless.  Just mentioning him upsets both of them, so let's just let it go.  We handled it, and brining it up later isn't going to do anyone any good."

            Rei's logic didn't completely satisfy her, but Minako found herself agreeing nonetheless.  Casually taking Rei's hand, she said, "Let's go back.  I want to see how Mako-chan's doing for myself."

            With a grin, Rei draped her arm back around Minako.  Together like that, they made their way back to the waiting area.

            There were times when she had to remind herself that just because she was at the hospital didn't mean she was on duty.  The work, however, provided Kaya with a distraction she was glad to have tonight.  As much as she liked Ami's friends, she wasn't really comfortable sitting and waiting with them, just as she wasn't completely comfortable hovering over Makoto as much as she felt she wanted to.  So the work was welcome, in its own way, and helped her pace out the time between visits.

            She passed the girls in the waiting area, all of them finally given into the need for sleep.  In the room, she found Usagi the same way, curled up on the couch with Ami's stuffed animal hugged tightly to her.  She might have smiled at the sight if she hadn't been so completely focused on Makoto and Ami.

            The regular room lights had been turned out and replaced by the bluish white of the nightlight over the bed.  Makoto sat in the middle of the bed, several pillows in her lap for her to lean on, while Ami sat behind her, rubbing her back and talking too quietly for Kaya to make out the words.  Makoto's eyes were squeezed shut beneath her sweaty bangs, and one fist was twisted tightly around the sheet as a sound somewhere between a hum and a whimper slowly escaped from her.  After several seconds, she began to relax marginally, though her eyes didn't open.  She was holding up remarkably well, in Kaya's opinion, but the exhaustion was plain to see in her features.

            Kaya walked over to the bed and carefully sat on the corner.  She smiled at Ami, who gave her a tired grin in return, before reaching forward to smooth back a few strands of hair that had come loose from Makoto's ponytail.  Quietly, she asked, "How's everything going?  Everyone out there tells me you've been doing very well."

            "I am never doing this again," answered Makoto tensely.

            Kaya nodded, sympathizing with the sentiment.  Her hand dropped back into her lap and folded with her other as she said, "It shouldn't be too much longer, though I remember when people said that to me, it really didn't make things much better.  And Ami was taking so long…"

            Makoto cracked her eyes open to peer at the woman in front of her.  "How long?"

            Kaya grinned in spite of herself.  "Well, from the time I first realized I was in labor until she was born, it all took about 34 hours."

            For a moment, Makoto's jaw went slack.  Then her lip began to quiver as her eyes filled with weary tears.  Shaking her head, she whispered hoarsely, "I can't.  I can't do it for that long.  I'm so tired, and I just want it all to be over.  Please don't make me do it for that long."

            Kaya's heart broke at that, and she wished dearly that she could take it back.  Ami looked like she wanted to cry herself as she tried to reassure Makoto that it would only be another hour or two, and Kaya once again reached out to her in an attempt to repair the bit of damaged she felt she'd done.  Her thumb wiping away the tear that was trailing down Makoto's cheek, Kaya went on, "I didn't mean to make you cry, sweetheart.  Most people usually find it amusing when I tell them that, but I suppose now just wasn't the right time for it.  And I know for a fact you'll have this baby by the time the sun rises.  He's like you that way.  Ami just needed some extra time to think things through and make sure being born was the right decision for her, and she wasn't going to be rushed into it.  That's always been her nature, even back then."

            Kaya startled as Makoto's hand unexpectedly latched onto the white jacket she wore and tried to tug her closer.  Still a bit surprised by the action, Kaya moved forward until Makoto stopped her by awkwardly putting her arms around her and resting her forehead against her shoulder.

            "Promise?" asked Makoto.

            "I promise," answered Kaya reassuringly.  She carefully moved the pillows on Makoto's lap out from between them to make things less awkward, and then began a gentle, tentative stroking over Makoto's hair.  The girl's grip on her remained, her fists tightening into the white material on each contraction as the first syllable of a curse would be cut off by that same humming until it had passed.

            Glad to be here and able to help, Kaya began to ease into the role she was playing, taking some of the pressure off of Ami for awhile.  "You know," she began somewhat aimlessly, "my grandmother would be very impressed by you if she was here right this moment.  'Times may change, but people don't.'  She's always saying that to me.  Back when I had Ami, she didn't understand why I insisted on going to a hospital, because if having her children at home with nothing but her mother and a midwife was good enough for her, then it was certainly good enough for me.  She completely missed the point."

            "The epidural," supplied Ami, enjoying listening to her mother talk.  More so than usual because Makoto seemed glad to have her there as well.

            "That's right," answered Kaya.  She reached back and patted Ami's cheek affectionately.  "Pregnancy didn't really suit me very well.  The result was worth it, though, even if it did throw off my plan.  Ami came a few years early, you see, since I wasn't planning on having my first until I was 30.  Then I was going to have the second four or five years later.  One of each, that way, Suoh and Father would have a boy to keep them happy, and Mother and Gram would have a girl."  

            Kaya chuckled lightly as she reflected back on that part of her life.  "It seems almost silly to me now, thinking Suoh could have been any happier with a son.  He was so absolutely fascinated by Ami, and so completely in love.  Every little thing she did captivated him, and he always talked about how she would follow him with her eyes when he worked.  Those first few weeks after we brought her home, even with Gram and my mother there, I was terrified.  She was so small, and it felt like everything I was doing was wrong because none of it was working the way the books said it was supposed to.  Suoh, on the other hand, would just pick her up like he'd done it a million times before and stick a bottle in her mouth without even thinking about it.  And he would keep her tucked in one arm like she was a football while he showed her how to sketch out a landscape or portrait."

            Makoto grinned against Kaya's shoulder as Ami said, "That made Gram crazy, didn't it?"

            "There were a lot of things about your father that made Gram crazy," replied Kaya evenly.  "The only time she ever lost her temper with him, though, was when I was in labor and his fidgeting got to be too much for all of us.  She and Mother banished him out to the waiting room with the rest of the men, which was where Gram thought he should have been to begin with, until you were actually being born."  Kaya had never asked how all those hours had gone for him.  She knew instinctively that putting Suoh, her father, and Kyo into the same room together wasn't a good idea, but at the time, she hadn't really cared.  Now, she just flat out didn't care to think about it at all.  Instead, she chose to muse over a personality that a part of her, on very rare occasions, missed.

            "That was one of the odd things about Suoh," she went on.  "He could sit for hours and look out over a field or up at the sky without ever putting pencil to paper.  Then he'd lose days in his studio just starting at a blank canvas without moving.  But with anything else, he was like a child with ADD.  If something wasn't happening right then and there to hold his attention, he would start to fidget until someone granted him freedom."

            "Ami's like that," inserted Makoto.  She shifted a bit, trying to find a better angle to sit at and adjusting herself more comfortably against Kaya.  "Not that last part, but the part about losing time.  She does that when she studies.  She works too hard sometimes."

            Ami's cheeks reddened just a bit at the observation, and Kaya smiled.  Tilting her head down just a bit, she said softly against Makoto's ear, "That's why I'm glad she has you."

            Usagi had never woken up so fast in her life.  Under the bright lights of the hospital room, she scrambled from the couch to her feet and watched in wide-eyed wonder as the medical staff moved quickly into place.

            Ami and her mother stood next to Makoto, one on each side, holding her hands and helping support her when the doctor told her to push.  Red-faced from the exertion, Makoto had given up any and all pretense of quiet and civil.  The deep-throated string of invectives that issued from her as she put the last of her energy reserves into it reverberated through the room and caught the surprised attention of the people several rooms away.

            "Good girl," said Ken when they paused for Makoto to take a breath.  "We're almost there.  One more good push should do it.  As soon as you're ready."

            Makoto nodded once, then tightened her grip on the two standing beside her.  A grunt of effort turned into another hard yell until, finally, she fell back, gulping in relieved breaths as her own voice was replaced with the high pitched cries of newborn.

            A shaky laugh escaped from Ami, and she could feel the tears that had suddenly started to run down her cheeks.  She wiped at them hastily before reaching down to stroke Makoto's bangs away from her eyes.  As Saatchi-san announced for everyone that it was a healthy boy with all his fingers and toes, Ami placed a kiss against Makoto's forehead, smiling against her skin in a way the reflected Makoto's own happy-but-tired grin.  Still holding onto Makoto, they watched as Saatchi-san clamped off the cord and finished cleaning the baby's mouth and nose.  Then he smiled up at Ami as a nurse held out a pair of surgical scissors to her.

            "This is your big moment, Ami," he said happily.

            Ami nodded, her smile widening even more.  She swiped at her eyes one more time and forced her hands to steady before nearing her still mewling son.  The small snip seemed to startle him a bit, and his crying started again in earnest before a blanket was wrapped loosely around him and he was handed to his mother.

            As the baby was placed against her chest, Makoto's perspective narrowed down to nothing more than this one, tiny person.  His skin was red and wrinkled, the little bit of brown hair on his head dark and matted.  His feet were smaller than her palm, and his fingers barely fit around her thumb as she stroked his hand with her finger.  His crying had slowly calmed, and his lips moved just a bit, putting a dimple in one chubby cheek.  Makoto gently ran the back of a finger over his dimple, letting out a soft laugh as she did.  At the sound of her voice, his eyes started to ease open.  He blinked a few times, looking almost dazed, before turning his unfocused gaze up to hers.

            And for a just a moment, the universe stopped as she saw eternity in a pair of deep blue eyes.

            "Hey, look," said Usagi in quiet awe as she slid up to them and stood beside Kaya to look down at the baby.  "His eyes are almost exactly like Ami's."

            Ami's smile turned shy as her hand moved carefully over the baby's head.  "Most babies are born with blue eyes, Usagi," she said softly.  "In a few days, they'll begin to change to green."

            "Maybe," answered Usagi dubiously.  She held a finger out for the baby, and he caught it in an uncoordinated grip.  Usagi giggled happily at him, telling him how cute and perfect he was.  After a few minutes, she unwillingly pulled herself away from his attention.  "I gotta go tell the others.  If I wait too long, they'll hurt me."  Then, after one more glance down at the baby, she excused herself and hurried out to her friends.

            Ken smiled after her, then looked over at Kaya.  She was biting her lip, partially obscuring the smile she wore, and refusing to let the shine in her eyes spill over.  He'd already heard how she'd promised death and double shifts to the first person on staff who called her 'Grandma,' but he knew she was just as happily caught up in it all as the girls were.  Turning back to Makoto, he smiled almost mischievously, and said, "How about you give him to Grandma for a few minutes, so we can get both of you fixed up a bit.  I promise we'll give him right back."

            Not seeing the look that earned him from Ami's mother, Makoto agreed, albeit reluctantly.  After handing the baby to Kaya, she smiled up at Ami and nodded, giving her the permission she wanted to go with them.

            "Does he have a name yet?" asked the nurse as she began to fiddle and fuss with the baby.

            "Miki," answered Ami.

            "That's a good name.  Now, let's see…  You joined us on May 6th at 5:23 am," she went on as she checked the numbers on the side of the small table.  "Twenty-one inches and seven pounds, twelve ounces.  You're going to be a big boy, aren't you?"  She finished wrapping a blanket around him and put a blue cap over his head.  Just before handing him to Ami, she smiled at him and said, "Welcome to the world, Kino Miki.  I hope you have a long and happy stay."

*            *            *

            Several hours had passed.  All of their friends had come and gone.  Kaya had left them alone to give them time to get to know each other as a family, but now she was ready to head home herself, and she wanted to see them one more time before she did.  Stopping at the door to Makoto's room, she stood and stared inside, trying to take it all in.  She felt the presence of the man behind her before she saw him, and on instinct, leaned back against him.

            Ken wrapped his arms around her for the few minutes she would allow it and said, "You've had some time to really think about it now.  How does it all feel?"

            "Surreal," answered Kaya without missing a beat.  Then she grinned.  "But good.  It feels good."

            "How about coming back to the apartment for awhile?" asked Ken.  "I can at least give you breakfast and a little time for some real sleep before I have to leave again."

            Kaya smiled, surprised at how easily she found herself agreeing to it.  "Just let me say goodbye first."

            Ken nodded, then kissed the top of her head before leaving her alone with the girls.

            Kaya took a few more minutes to gather her thoughts together and then went into the room.  In the soft morning light, Makoto slept soundly, the combined result of her own exhaustion and pain killers.  Ami sat in a chair beside the bed with Miki asleep in her arms.

            Smiling down at her daughter, Kaya traced a finger along the baby's ear and said, "I have to leave for a while, but I'll be back this afternoon.  You should let them take him to the nursery for a bit so you can get some rest, too."

            Ami shook her head, the act reminding her mother of a petulant, overly tired toddler.  "They said we could keep him as long as we wanted," she argued quietly, her eyes staying focused on the baby.  "Besides, Mako-chan had him all to herself for nine months.  It's my turn now, and I want to make sure he knows who I am before I have to give him back."  Then she grinned widely and looked up at her mother with a sleepy-drunk kind of happiness.  "He has blue eyes."

            Kaya couldn't help but chuckle.  So much for rational logic, she thought.  "I saw," she said softly, grinning back at Ami.  "He has very nice eyes, sweetheart, and so do you.  Except, right now, yours are drooping so much I can barely tell.  So, here, let me have him, and we'll compromise," she went on as she carefully lifted Miki from Ami's arms.

            Ami frowned at her mother in silent protest while the baby fussed at being moved from a warm and comfortable spot.

            Experience had taught her how to resist Ami's pout, even if the attempts weren't always equally successful.  This time, she distracted herself by humming softly to the baby as she walked him over to the hospital bassinet.  "I know you like it better when your mama holds you," she said quietly.  "And I understand why she would rather be holding you.  But right now, you all need some rest, so be a good boy for your Grandma Kaya and sleep."

            "His Nana," corrected Ami as she walked up behind her mother.  "Mako-chan asked if you would mind.  It was what she called her grandmother, and she never really thought he would have one, but now that he does…"

                 Kaya smiled at Ami, touched deeply by what she was being given here.  "I would like that very much," she said.  Then she turned her attention back to the baby, placing a kiss against his cheek before laying him down.  To Ami, she said, "Let him sleep here for awhile, and you lie down and do the same.  When you wake up, he'll be right here waiting for you and wanting attention."

            Ami nodded, hiding a long yawn behind her hand.

            "Good," replied Kaya to Ami's almost answer.  Then she reached forward and pulled her into a hug.  "I love you, sweetheart."

            "I love you, too, Mom."

            After a few quiet moments, Ami walked her mother to the door, grinning to herself when she saw Ken standing at the end of the hall trying to look like he wasn't waiting.  When her mother was gone, rather than going to the couch, Ami went back to the chair she'd been sitting in and pulled it closer to the bed.  Her fingers brushed against Makoto's as she lay her head down beside Makoto's arm.  Her eyes had drifted closed and she was almost asleep when she felt fingers move against her own.  Those fingers moved up and began slowly brushing through her hair.

            Ami turned her head and smiled at her barely awake partner.  "Hey there.  Are you feeling okay?  I thought you'd sleep longer.  Mom made me put the baby down, but I'll get him for you if you want."

            Makoto smiled back at her and would have nodded if her eyes hadn't started to slip shut once again.

            "When you wake up," whispered Ami as she allowed her own eyes to close and her fingers to thread through Makoto's.  "I'll get him for you when we wake up."

END


	29. Epilogue

"The Cruelty and Fairness of Fate"

By Crawlspace

**********************

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**********************

Epilogue

            "… And so, on just that one night of the whole year, if the sky is clear, the cowherd and the weaver are able to cross the Milky Way to meet.  Two lovers reunited in the stars."

            The little girl sighed at the tragic romanticism of it all, along with most of the other little girls sitting around her, as the woman in the pale yellow yukata finished telling the story of Tanabata.  The woman smiled at all the children, then playfully shooed them back off to the game booths and food stands that had been set up for the festival.

            Kei stood with the rest of them, her brother, Ti, close beside her.  This was one of the things she liked best about humans:  They knew how to tell a good story.  Even better, they knew how to throw a good party to go along with those stories.  Kei looked around happily at all the bright colors that decorated the festival grounds.  Not just those of the lights that lit up the night along all the booths, but those of the people as well.  A few of them had come in plain old shorts, but most had dressed up in their yukatas the way they were supposed to.  Just like she had.  While all those pretty colors make Kei happy, she thought her yukata was the best, with its golden dragon pattern flowing over red silk.  It was the prettiest of all, and matched perfectly the red bow tied between the little cat ears even Shin thought looked cute on her human form.

            Still wrapped up in the human woman's storytelling, Kei stared up at the stars.  "How terribly romantic," she sighed happily once again.

            "How boring, you mean," complained her little brother as he walked along beside her.  He picked at the dark blue of his yukata and complained further, "I wore this stupid costume for you because you said you would take me to play games and get something to eat.  But so far, we haven't done anything but watch people and listen to that stupid story over and over.  And you better take me to see the fireworks, or I'm telling Shin you lied."

            Kei practically ignored Ti, waving a hand dismissively at him.  Answering in a bored tone, she said, "If you wanted to play games, you should have stayed with Shin and Kai.  So don't whine at me.  But I am getting hungry.  What do you want to eat?  Ti?"  Kei stopped walking and turned around when she didn't get a response.  An annoyed look crossed her face when she saw her brother standing several steps behind her and staring off at something.  Walking back to him, she said, "Hey, I was talking to you."

            Ti raised his finger and pointed over in the direction of the game booths.  "Isn't that your human?"  Then a bright smile broke out on his face.  "And look!  There's mine, too!"

            Kei quickly grabbed her brother and put a hand over his mouth to keep him from moving or getting any unwanted attention.  Then she closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could for several seconds before both of them disappeared in a faint flash of light.

            When the children reappeared, they were several inches above the branch Kei had been aiming for.  Kei was able to land and steady herself without too much trouble.  However, the only thing that kept Ti from tumbling through the leaves after their unexpected trip was Kei's grip on his yukata.

            Kei hauled Ti onto the branch and watched the people he had pointed out, while Ti clung desperately to the branch and tried to catch his breath.  Her human, Minako, was standing at the basketball game with the Mako-chan human and the tall blonde whose name Kei didn't know.  Ti's two humans were also with them, and the aqua colored one who had gotten the blonde so angry at Kai the last time they'd met.  The two little ones looked excited as Mako-chan and the blonde gave each other challenging glances and then paid the man at the booth.  Ti's Hotaru put her soda cup into a holder on the pushcart thing they had with them and reached quickly into a bag with pastel alphabet blocks on it to pull out a camera.  Just as two basketballs were set before the opponents, her Minako reached into the pushcart to get something.

            Kei's eyes widened as Ti leaned over her shoulder and laughed at what he saw.  "Aw, how cute!  They have a puppy!" exclaimed the little boy.

            Again, Kei's hand quickly covered Ti's mouth.  "Shh!" she hissed at him.  "We don't want them to find us.  And besides, that's not a puppy, stupid.  Humans don't have puppies.  They have kittens," announced Kei definitively right before she turned back to watching them.

            Ti sat there looking as if he was trying to decide whether to be angry for being called stupid or dubious over Kei's proclamation about humans and kittens, and which one he should be first.  While his mind deliberated, Minako held the tiny baby in front of her so he could watch the two players.  He was cute, Kei thought.  His eyes were big and blue as he took in what was happening before him, and the little blue trucks on his jumper made his eyes stand out even more.  Kei had always favored blue eyes, just like the ones on her Minako.  It was a shame the tuft of hair on the baby's head was brown, though.  If it had been golden, he would have been perfect.

            Before she could think on the little human kitten any further, the rest of the human group came walking up.  Kei recognized all of them except for the man with Minako's friend, Usagi.  Minako smiled when she saw them, and Kei scowled at the brunette who moved to stand beside her with cotton candy and a caramel apple in hand.  Minako handed the baby off to the Ami human, who cuddled and cooed at him, then took the cotton candy from her companion.

            Without completely losing her scowl, Kei said to Ti, "Come on.  Let's get out of here before the ugly one senses us.  If she does, Shin will make us leave.  And don't say anything about seeing them.  We probably won't be allowed to stay if you do."

            Ti nodded, and this time when Kei transported them, he was ready for it.  The landing on the other side of the festival grounds wasn't much smoother than most of Kei's landings, but at least she'd finally figured out how to do it without getting a bunch of attention from the people around them.  Kei took off running ahead of him, having spotted their older brothers.  Ti sighed and hurried after her.  He caught up to them and fell in beside Kai.  Kei was resting contentedly on Shin's back, drinking over his shoulder from the straw he held up to her.

            When Shin saw Ti, he grinned down at the boy.  "Did you two have fun?"

            "Yeah," answered Ti without much enthusiasm.  "But I want to play some games.  Can we, Shin?"

            Shin reached into his pocket and pulled out his stash of play money for the boys.  Tossing it to Kai, he said, "Go on, do some damage.  But don't cheat so much that someone notices."

            Kai smirked, then ran on ahead with a much happier Ti.

            Shin continued along at a leisurely pace.  Still on his back, Kei tapped the top of his head and opened her mouth, effectively requesting more to drink.  Shin took a sip, then shook the cup.  "It's empty.  I'll get you some more when we catch up to the boys."

            "Okay," answered Kei.  She rested her chin on Shin's shoulder, and after a few seconds of being carried in silence, said, "Shin, I've been really good lately."

            Shin almost laughed.  With one corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk, he replied, "I suppose you have."

            "If I ask for something, will I be allowed to have it?"

            "That depends on what it is."

            Kei smiled innocently.  "I'd like to have a new pet."

            Shin frowned and noted both the rumble from Kei's tummy and the fact they were passing the goldfish booth right that moment.  "If I win you a goldfish, do you promise to take care of it and not eat it?"

            Kei giggled at him.  "Oh, don't be so silly.  Besides, I don't want a goldfish.  I want a kitten."


End file.
